


Happenstance

by Zeiskyte



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Anankos becomes super protective of him but knows he shouldn't care for humans, Draconic degeneration begins to happen again though and it starts to affect Takumi, Gen, Modern AU where Anankos intertwined his and Takumi's souls at the end of Conquest, Tldr Anankos cares for Takumi like a son, Wow and now there's actually plot!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-25 00:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 61,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13822971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeiskyte/pseuds/Zeiskyte
Summary: After entwining their souls, the soul that was once Prince Takumi of Hoshido is reincarnated countless times. Anankos lies in wait to regain his power for his next attempt to eradicate humanity, but a surprising twist of fate encourages him to bond with the boy.Anankos never thought he would resign himself to being a "friend" of his vessel.





	1. Entwined

**Author's Note:**

> Well. This idea came to me last night and I finally had the time to write it. F!Takumi in Heroes definitely dragged me back into this trope and I can't really complain.
> 
> Just some notes:  
> *Corrin is female and is named Kamui.  
> *As the Hoshidan family is sort of Japanese in this, Takumi typically addresses them with honorifics where Anankos would probably just say their names as is.  
> *Anankos's friend, the first king of Valla, is named Cadros in English and Ryuurei in Japanese. I decided on using Ryuurei because it fits with the other names of the characters and a young Takumi wouldn't question it.
> 
> I thiiiink that's it. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter, I plan on updating soon as long as I'm not overwhelmed with homework.

Anankos always had a back up plan in mind. It would be idiotic to throw his life away in some botched attempt at claiming the world for himself, and although he trusted in his vessel's ability to kill his daughter, there was always the possibility of failure. 

So when the second Hoshidan prince was struck down in the throne room, Anankos was pleased that he had implanted part of his soul into Takumi's. By binding their souls together, whenever Takumi was to be reincarnated, the Silent Dragon would always be a part of him. He would lay low and gather his strength once again - he would be able to get his revenge on humanity after all that they had done. But for now, he would have to wait.

Many lifetimes went by and the fleeting life of Prince Takumi of Hoshido was merely a memory. Lives full of happiness and love passed in what felt like a blink of an eye and Anankos grew tired of the repeating cycle. Cradle to tomb was quite boring through the eyes of someone not living it, and the lifetimes spent waiting made the dragon question if it was worth it in the long run.

However, after his 28th - was it the 29th? He couldn't remember - life with the soul, Anankos could tell this life would be different. There was something about the mother holding him, the father standing by her bedside, the son, the two daughters...

This couldn't be. Was... Was it about to happen again?

The woman pressed a kiss to his forehead, eyes just as bright as they were all those lifetimes ago.

"My sweet baby boy... I'll name you Takumi."

* * *

Since the first lifetime he bonded with the soul, the dragon found himself sleeping to conserve his energy. There had been no incentive to watch the lives that followed. The bodies he inhabited served the purpose of protecting him until he was strong enough to reek havoc once again.

However, when his newest vessel was named Takumi and the names and _appearances_ of his family were identical to how they were in that first life, Anankos could not help but watch what fate had in store for them. There had to be something ahead of the family if they were being reincarnated just like their first iteration; things as coincidental as this did not just happen for no reason.

From what he could hear from his surroundings, it was the turn of the century and society had advanced substantially since the first life. Ikona seemed to always be holding a device that would flash every now and then when pointed at Takumi; Sumeragi would bring home new toys and devices to entertain the boy. Magical boxes with people trapped in them littered the home and the dragon was off-put by what they called "technology".

Takumi was four. Even though he had the constant affection of either Ryoma, Hinoka, or Kamui, Anankos found himself finally revealing himself to the boy after all these lifetimes spent together. For being together hundreds of years and not acknowledging his host _once_ , the dragon took this strange occurrence of fate to acquaint himself.

 _Takumi?_ It was soft, a mere whisper in the boy's mind. Anankos had decided on a day the rest of the boy's family was preoccupied so that he could have the time by himself. Dealing with the once-royal family would be a headache for another day.

Takumi whipped his head around, short bangs splayed messily on his forehead. "Who said that?"

The childish voice was almost cute. He scolded himself for such frivolous thoughts; Anankos could not consider the boy cute after seeing the pitiful creature he became in that first lifetime. Hopefully he would grow out of childhood soon.

Anankos debated on telling the truth but came to the conclusion that telling a four year old he was an ancient dragon that intertwined their souls hundreds of years ago would be too incomprehensible. It made him wonder; what is something a child would believe?

_Think of me as your protector. No one else can see or hear me._

Takumi perked up, a grin tugging at his lips. "You're my friend?" The way he said it with such enthusiasm and genuine happiness inspired something in the dragon he had not felt in a long time.

Why was he feeling attached to the child? It was a fact that he would grow up and die just like the rest of them. He was to be another vessel, a stepping stone for when he would finally return to his original form and eradicate humanity.

_Yes. I am your friend._

Anankos could not grow attached to this boy - he would just be betrayed and scorned by humanity again. His goal was to destroy humans, not care for their well being and hope they grow up healthy and strong and loved-

"I'm so happy!" Takumi's smile was contagious. Seeing him happy after what happened in their first life together made Anankos almost feel _giddy_. There was no way out of this. The dragon nearly regretted revealing himself to the boy.

The smile on his face lessened and uncertainty creeped into his tone. "Um, what is your name? I can't just call you friend..."

His name? Perhaps giving the boy his actual name was a bad idea - at least for now. Maybe one day he would tell the truth, but children have big mouths and Anankos did not need the risk of being found out. Not when he was so close to being back to his full power.

He said the first name that had come to mind: the name of his first friend.

_Call me Ryuurei._

* * *

At the age of seven, Anankos was mildly surprised to see Takumi already practicing archery. The child was a young school boy, nowhere near royalty, and there was no imminent war. The fact that his affinity for archery withstood the test of time was believable, but it did not offset the surprise the first time he wielded a bow and arrow.

 _Raise your arm slightly and move t-_ yes _, just like that._

No matter what body it was, the boy's soul was a quick learner and talented in many aspects. How he felt inferior to his siblings in that first life was surprising to Anankos. He had been the best archer in the land, chosen by the divine Fujin Yumi, and proficient in sword and lance as well. Not to mention, he had a sharp mind put to great use in strategizing.

The arrow was shot and it just missed the bulls-eye by a hair.

"That's the fourth time I've missed, Ryu! I'll never be good with this," the boy whined. It all sounded a bit too familiar.

As Anankos was playing the role of friend and guardian, he decided he would help the boy with whatever he needed. Besides school work, of course; the dragon had no knowledge of those topics. Fighting off bullies and teaching his peers who was in charge was another story.

_As long as you practice, you'll get better, Taki. You know that._

The pet name failed to faze the boy, or perhaps he simply accepted it. If Ryuurei could become Ryu, Takumi could become Taki. It gave a sense of familiarity, something completely new to the two. Never had Anankos thought he would be concerned over something as pitiful as nicknames, but lives spent bound together seemed to change that.

"I know, I know," he said while retrieving the arrow. He bent down to grab another from the grass, his short ponytail swinging in his peripheral vision. It wasn't nearly as long as it was in his first life, but the boy certainly held the intention to grow it out. "But I feel like I need to be good at something. Ryoma- _nii_ is great at football, Hinoka- _nee_ is great in volleyball... Kamui- _nee_ is the best at making friends and Sakura is so smart and kind, even though she's so young."

Takumi tightened his grip on the arrow, biting his lip to staunch the tears beginning to well in his amber eyes. "I-I just want to be _good_ at something! I want Ka- _chan_ and Tou- _san_ to be proud of me...!"

_Don't cry, my child. You are already making such good progress. You will be an amazing archer. You will do great in anything you set your mind to._

The dragon had not expected the random breakdown but children are unpredictable. The original Takumi was the same way, if he recalled correctly, but the crying surprised him nonetheless. Anankos was not good with children but seeing the boy cry filled him with guilt.

Takumi sniffled, wiping away his tears with shaky gasps. "I-I can't- can't help it-t!"

 _You will do fine, Taki - don't worry your pretty little head over it._ The dragon hummed, exerting some control over the boy to induce drowsiness. _It's getting late, you'd better sleep. I'll bring you to bed._

Takumi could barely think past the sleepiness clouding his thoughts. His eyes felt as heavy as lead and he could barely hear the lulling voice of Ryuurei. "O-okay," he yawned before finally submitting to sleep.

No more than a minute later, Anankos took control of the body. As of right now, he had no destructive desires; his intention was to finish putting away the archery equipment and to get Takumi to bed. It was summer so the sun was nearing the horizon, but that did not mean the boy had to wait until the moon to head to bed. He needed a good night's sleep while he could get it.

With their souls entwined, Anankos knew all of Takumi's thoughts and feelings. This included experiencing dreams together - whenever Anankos would sleep at the same time as him of course. Seeing how terrifying the child's nightmares were first hand, the dragon made it a point to join Takumi during the night to protect him from such visions.

After returning the targets, the bow, quiver, and arrows, Anankos began to walk towards the Shirasagi house. Why Takumi's family would allow the seven year old in the woods without supervision was beyond him, but it at least gave the dragon time to talk with his partner. At this point, Takumi was smart enough to converse through thoughts while other people were in their company, but when they were alone, it was easier for the boy to speak out loud.

As he walked back, he felt fear build in his chest; Takumi must be having a nightmare. Anankos unconsciously quickened his pace, finding himself at the porch door at the back of the house. Thankfully, it was unlocked, and to keep the boy from getting yelled at, the dragon locked up before heading upstairs.

The thought of Takumi suffering alone clawed at Anankos and he remembered why he had stayed away from humans in the first place; he was afraid of becoming attached. If Takumi were to betray him one day...

He shook his head, reaching for the doorknob. No. Takumi would _never_ betray him. He wasn't like those humans from _that_ time.

"Oh! Hello, Takumi!"

And there was Mikoto, sitting upon the foot of Takumi's bed. The woman had been an aunt figure to the boy, but not too long after Ikona died from birthing Sakura, Sumeragi allowed her to stay with them. Although Takumi acknowledged her as a mother, Anankos could only see her as his first love and the mother of their child.

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and considered his options before speaking. How well could he impersonate his partner?

"H-hello, Ka- _chan_ ," it was shaky, but it was something. Hopefully he could convince the woman to just leave and allow him to sleep. Takumi was alone and Anankos felt the growing urge to accompany him and protect him from those nightmares. "Do you need s-something?"

Mikoto pursed her lips together, as though she was still turning over her thoughts in her head. Leaning back slightly, her gaze was slightly unnerving as it settled on him.

"You... You're not Takumi."

Her deadpan tone and blunt way of saying it surprised Anankos. Perhaps some of her clairvoyant ability remained, or maybe it was simply a mother's instinct. Nevertheless, he needed to find out a quick solution to get Mikoto out.

"What do you mean, Ka- _chan_?" He attempted doing puppy dog eyes but stopped a half second later, realizing his red irises would give it away instantly. Of course, Anankos doubted Mikoto would recognize _Not-Takumi_ as the Silent Dragon, but he would have to do his best at acting.

"You-" she stopped abruptly, perhaps reconsidering her choice. Instead, she got to her feet and walked to the door, passing by Anankos in the process. Without looking at him, she stated, "Don't even _think_ about hurting him, or I'll see to dealing with you myself."

And with that, she was gone.

Taking a moment to process what had occurred, the dragon reached for the doorknob and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Throwing off the dirtied clothes, he slid on the pajamas left in a neat pile and climbed under the covers.

Thinking about his interaction with Mikoto could wait. Takumi was suffering alone and Anankos had already wasted enough time.


	2. Waking Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the kudos! I didn't expect this fic to get such great reception after being out for a little under a day, so this was a pleasant surprise. 
> 
> Anyways, I couldn't stop thinking about this fic and I had more free time today so I was able to write up the next chapter. I don't know when the next chapter will be out because I have quite a lot of tests and assignments coming up. 
> 
> Another note for this chapter to avoid confusion: whenever Anankos is referred to as Ryuurei, it's from Takumi's perspective. Anankos always refers to him as, well, Anankos. This is hard to tell as this is written in third-person, but I try to give an idea of who the paragraph is focusing on. I hope this clears things up!

Nightmares were nothing new to Takumi. For as long as he could remember, sleep would not come easy to him, and whenever he finally found himself in the world of dreams, they were night terrors. Visions of monsters and heartbreak greeted him and silhouettes of people that seemed _so familiar_ with voices without love grated against his ears.

A girl, one so painstakingly familiar, glared down at him, but there was no hatred in her gaze. "Takumi... We can end this war together, it doesn't have to be like this-!"

"Shut up!" He growled, grip tightening around his bow. He felt the anger in his blood, the way it clouded his vision and blurred everything together, and he almost felt like there was something driving him to act. He danced a step back, closer to the edge of the wall, and aimed his arrow at the girl in front of her. "You never loved us! You killed mother! You killed Ryoma! I will _never_ trust you!"

She withdrew her outstretched hand, eyes unreadable as a frown tugged at her lips. "I didn't want this, I didn't want this at _all_ ," she nearly cried, her head turned away from him. "I just want to end the war, Takumi. I don't want to lose anyone else..."

Tears were pricking at her eyes but he couldn't help the snarl that came. "You already chose your side. You don't deserve my help, you _traitor_!"

"Takumi!"

And he was falling.

Fear began to creep into his veins, the anger beginning to die down. In the heat of the moment, this seemed like the only option to take, but the longer he was in free fall, the more he regretted the decision. Something had pushed him to jump, goading him towards whatever the Bottomless Canyon held at the bottom. He hated the way a foreign feeling controlled his body and clouded his thoughts into something he could not even call his anymore.

Something in his chest felt like it was being ripped in half. He nearly screamed out in agony, the way it felt like his insides were bring clawed at, but his voice died in his throat. Instead, a dark chuckle resounded in his head before it began its mantra.

 _Betrayal. Betrayal. Kill them. Kill_ her.

Hitting the ground was painless.

In the pitch black, it was difficult to make out the bottom of the canyon. Takumi would have found it ironic that there _was_ a bottom to the Bottomless Canyon, but the numbness in his veins and his body moving on its own accord was the focus of his attention. It walked, somehow finding its way in the darkness, and a purple aura began to surround him.

" _Betrayal... Betrayal..._ "

Takumi felt like vomiting. Having no control over his body and watching it act like a zombie was sickening. Tears began to run down his cheeks, perhaps the only autonomy he had, and he prayed for it to stop.

Suddenly, he fell to his knees, and he could feel phantom arms around him and warmth beginning to spread through his body.

_I'm sorry, Taki. I'm so sorry..._

What was Ryuurei apologizing for? Takumi's body was writhing under the embrace, still hissing out curses and mantras, and the dragon did his best to calm the boy. Takumi had been reliving a memory - one from the first life and when they first became connected. Feeling the pain firsthand and understanding just what Anankos did all those years ago was beginning to spur guilt.

Once back in control of his body, Takumi was able to speak. "What are you sorry for, Ryu? You didn't do this - you just _saved_ me!"

Whatever the dragon had been preparing to say died in his throat. He hated lying to Takumi, especially when he was still so young and pure, but it might be better to get the truth out of the way. If he told Takumi years later, perhaps the boy would hate him. Anankos could not bare losing the human, not after how accustomed he became to him.

 _I..._ He grabbed onto the boy, pulling himself into his partner's shoulder. Anankos had to force the words out, hoping that the boy would not harbor hatred for him. _Takumi, this isn't a dream - it's a memory. And this... this was when I bonded us together._  I _did this to you._

Even though Takumi looked to be sixteen or so in this dreamscape, he had the mind of a seven year old. An _intelligent_ seven year old, but a child nonetheless. There was certainly shock in his eyes, but the boy had not completely grasped the concept. In the first life, Anankos had driven him to suicide and proceeded to use his corpse as a vessel. Now, after growing attached to the soul, he regretted putting the boy through so much pain, but the past could not be changed.

He choked out an 'oh', abruptly ending the silence that hung between them. It was not hard to connect the pain and heartbreak he felt to knowing Ryuurei had caused this. It made Takumi wonder how the maleficent dragon from - what did he call it? The first life? - that time became the kind protector he knew. Distantly, the boy feared being used again, but something told him Ryuurei had no ill intentions this time around.

"Well, you're my friend now. You would have left me to suffer if you didn't care." For such a young boy, his soul testified just how knowledgeable he was. He had a kindness beyond his years, something many peers failed to see, but Anankos knew all to well that the child was an old soul that had gone through too much.

The dragon felt the world around them beginning to dissipate, meaning Takumi was waking up. He began to vanish as well, and the sunlight peering in from his bedroom window tore the two from sleep. Groggily, the boy rubbed his eyes with a yawn, nearly forgetting what had occurred.

 _Good morning, Taki,_ he whispered, unsure if the events of the dream were remembered. If Takumi had forgotten, Anankos was not certain if that was the best outcome. If Takumi remembered his confession, there would be no need to give it again. However, if he did not remember, it gave the dragon more time to be with his ignorant partner.

"Morning, Ryu." It was only loud enough to be heard by the dragon, but it still carried the happy note Takumi said it with. Perhaps he would remember the night as being peaceful without the interruption of a nightmare. Anankos figured he would have mentioned the events by now if he recalled them. Maybe it was for the best.

The dragon took a glance to the mirror set on Takumi's desk, pleased to see amber eyes staring back. They seemed to only be red when Takumi was unconscious and Anankos was in complete control. He hummed, taking a mental note for the next time he was confronted by the family. Even in this life, they were oddly perceptive of each other's feelings.

Anankos felt a pain clawing at his stomach before sighing. _You didn't eat dinner last night._

Takumi laughed sheepishly, doing his best to untangle his bangs and run his fingers through his hair. "I fell asleep after practice, remember? I'll just eat now, I have some time before school."

Anankos nearly forgot how much he hated school. Sitting through boring lessons for hours a day was annoying but he knew he had no say in whether they went or not. Being a semi-omniscient dragon had its downsides, sadly.

_I think I will pass for today. Wake me up if you need anything or want to talk, alright?_

Already bounding down the stairs, he hummed an 'okay', leaving Anankos to slip back into slumber. Takumi headed to the table to find a bowl set out for him, filled with rice and what looked to be scrambled eggs. The smell captivated him and, before he knew it, he was gobbling the food down.

"You know," Sumeragi's deep baritone rang out from the head of the table, "a good morning would have been nice."

Takumi's head shot up, an apology already forming on his tongue. He did his best to swallow his mouthful before speaking, "I'm so sorry- good morning, Tou- _chan_!"

He bowed his head for forgiveness until his father rose from his seat and walked over to his son. "Don't worry about it, boy. I know you're hungry and little boys like you need to eat to grow up big and strong." Sumeragi ruffled the boy's hair, a hearty laugh booming throughout the kitchen.

The way the man shifted from almost happy-go-lucky to stern was anything but predictable. "Where were you last night? I heard from your mother that you weren't acting like yourself."

Truthfully, Takumi could not remember much about the previous night. He had been practicing his archery and gotten upset over his ability... And then there was the lulling voice of Ryuurei and he could not remember anything after that. How had he gotten from the forest to his room?

"I was, um... Practicing my archery?" It was not a total lie, as it was all the boy could remember, but disclosing Ryuurei's existence was taboo. That was _his_  friend and no one else was allowed to know about him, even his family.

Sumeragi's gaze was unrelenting, and Takumi prepared himself for a reprimand about lying. However, after a beat too long, he leaned back and gave the boy his space. "In that case," he began, the smile coming back just as quickly as it disappeared, "I'll have to test your skills; I don't want anything less than the greatest."

The thought of his father critiquing his skills was quite dreadful, but it was inevitable. As much as he loved his father and how cheerful and encouraging he could be, Takumi feared the stern, calculating aspect of the man. He dreaded hearing he was not good enough, that Ryoma was more talented and that he should give up now. Just the thought of it was disheartening.

His father must have noticed the melancholic look he sported. "Don't stress over it, Takumi. It isn't a big deal," he put his hand on his son's shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "Well, you'd better be heading to school. Wouldn't want you to be late, now would we?"

He nodded out of reflex before pushing away his leftovers and heading upstairs to change. As much as Takumi hated to admit it, the implications of his father judging his skills truly upset him. His bright mood had been dampened and now school was something he was dreading. He should have just kept his mouth shut and given some other lie.

After getting changed, brushing his teeth, and tying up his hair, he grabbed his backpack and headed into the car with Sumeragi, enjoying the quiet car ride and the blurring colors flying by. Before he could even realize it, they were in front of the elementary school. Takumi felt dread grow in the pit of his stomach and he debated waking Ryuurei so he would not have to suffer alone.

Sumeragi walked his son to the entrance before sending him off with another hair-ruffling. Takumi yelped in response before rushing to fix his bangs, his father calling out a goodbye over his shoulder. With no purpose left in being outside, he headed in and made his way to his classroom.

Bright colors littered the room and desks were pushed together in pairs. _That_ was new. Distantly, Takumi wondered which of his classmates he would be paired with. Would he know the person? Would they get along? Maybe he could make a new friend.

He walked along the rows, looking for his name. Towards the front and on the left side of the room, he found his name written on a piece of paper on the desk. Looking over to the one next to him, he saw a name that _looked_ familiar but he could not quite place a face to it.

It was only when a boy that was slightly taller than him made his way over that Takumi recognized the name. It was a boy that moved into town not too long ago, and even though Takumi tried to befriend him, the boy seemed to keep to himself.

"So we're sitting next to each other now," the boy deadpanned, sounding uninterested in Takumi's presence. He put his backpack besides his chair before sitting down, grabbing a book from under his desk with little interest to the boy next to him.

Takumi truly wanted to make as many friends as he could. It would make his family proud of him and maybe they would love him more if they saw he could be social. This could not be too hard. Having a person besides Ryuurei to talk to did not sound too bad.

"I was thinking we could be friends. I mean, now that we're sitting next to each other and we're-"

"Can't you see I'm reading?"

Takumi decided then that a friendship with Leo Windmire was impossible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing: Leo! I'm really happy I was able to incorporate him into this fic so we'll see what happens in the following chapters.
> 
> Anyways, I think I'm going to be taking a fluffier route with this fic. I just want Anankos to be overprotective of Takumi and to care for him throughout his life. He realizes his hatred from humanity is misplaced and those more human traits of his are what are showing. Of course, I don't intend to completely write out his maliciousness and hatred. That'll come in a later chapter...
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Dusk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy people like this story. Seeing the positive reception inspired me to keep writing and not just get lazy and leave the story unfinished. I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope I did a better job in characterization. Apparently younger Takumi was just as stubborn.
> 
> Warning. This chapter has some gore and blood so if you're not into that, I apologize. Anankos is still a bloodthirsty dragon, no matter how attached he is to Takumi.  
> Note: The chapters will not always be consecutive plot-wise. They might jump around in time and not pick up exactly where they ended. This picks up later in the day from the previous chapter. I hope this clears up any confusion.

_Do your parents_ ever _supe_ _rvise you?_ Anankos knew it was a rhetorical question but felt the need to fill the silence. The dragon knew well that Takumi's family was caring, but it seemed like he was always forgotten. Both parents worked and splitting time between five children was nigh impossible. And when they spent time with the children, Takumi was never the top priority. It left Anankos feeling unsettled that his parents would let a seven-year-old wander alone at night.

The boy chuckled at that one, continuing his stride through the woods. "I guess they trust me enough to be alone. It says something about my independence, doesn't it?"

Anankos audibly scoffed, a smirk evident in his tone. _Independent? You realize you're keeping yourself company with a voice in your head, right?_

As much as he loved the child, he always indulged himself in bouts of snarkiness. Constant coddling and kissing up got boring after awhile, and Anankos liked to have his fun. He would never _hurt_ Takumi, but teasing and mocking him were fair game.

"I can always just ignore you, y'know," he snarked halfheartedly, eyes trailing to the mason jar in his hands. It was empty at the moment but that would change once he got to the innards of the forest.

The dragon may have replied but Takumi was struck in awe upon the sight. The clearing was small and was surrounded by low-cut trees, but the real treasure was the occasional flicker of lights in the air.

_You came out here to catch_ fireflies _?_

The unimpressed tone was completely disregarded by Takumi, his eyes lighting up just at the sight of the creatures. The dim light of dusk encroached the area and the incessant flickers left the boy breathless.

"Ryu! Isn't it beautiful?" The mirth in his voice said it all; and to Anankos, it was a welcome contrast to how emotional he felt in the morning. Despite how stupid the concept of catching fireflies seemed to the ancient dragon, it seemed to make his partner happy, so the least he could do was encourage the child.

_Yes, it truly is. You had better start capturing them, you shouldn't be staying out this late into the night._ There was concern in his statement, reassured by the exhaustion he felt in Takumi's bones. He knew the boy had had a long day and this was his release, but Anankos did not need to walk the body into the house and risk being confronted by Mikoto again. He already feared the woman discovering his identity, so he would take caution and use the body sparingly.

Takumi grinned past his weariness, laughing to himself as he did his best to capture the fireflies. Many flew away from him but he had captured a respectable amount in his attempts. His panting was mixed with giggles, and he smirked in triumph as he sealed the jar. "Look at how many I caught!"

Anankos hummed in response, eyeing the moon rising steadily past the horizon. _That is more than enough, Taki. You should start heading home, it's getting dark out._

Takumi nodded, taking one last glance at the clearing and the remaining fireflies before turning on his heel. The walk to his house would take fifteen minutes at most, and he thought back on what Ryuurei had said. Why had his family allowed him to go alone this close to night? He had been lying about thinking himself independent, but did his parents believe that? Or did they not care enough to watch after him? Maybe he _was_ disposable and they were waiting for him to go missing...

Sensing the shift in Takumi's mood, Anankos was concerned. If he were not mistaken, the child had just been ecstatic and nearly rocking on his heels. Probing the boy's thoughts, he found mistrust and sadness prominent. Surely he had not taken the dragon's joke to heart?

_... Is something upsetting you, Taki?_ Truthfully, Anankos hoped the boy was not _this_ fragile. Sarcasm should not affect a person to the point of nearly breaking down. Or perhaps the schema the dragon had for humans was wrong? Were all humans this weak and pitiful?

Takumi bit his lip but showed no other signs of his emotions, continuing his trek like nothing happened. "No. Why would there be?"

The boy's mannerisms were not far off from how they were in the first life. Snarky, aggressive, defensive... the soul had failed to change at all. Childish innocence had offset some of the personality but it seemed this soul would always end up like this. Anankos' concern was mitigated by knowing his partner simply had a cold exterior, despite being emotional and sensitive on the inside.

_Ah, just ignore me then,_ the dragon shifted his attention elsewhere, knowing he would get nowhere when the boy was in one of his moods. Perhaps giving him time alone would be for the best.

"I will! It's not like I need someone to talk to- AHH!"

Anankos snapped to attention, Takumi's scream and the adrenaline coursing through his veins ripping him from his thoughts. Feeling the jar nearly slip out of the boy's hands, he ripped control from the boy without a second thought and caught it. Glancing up, he discovered what had scared the boy.

Growling and dangerously-close footsteps of a pack of coyotes met Anankos' red gaze. The animals began barking and Takumi's body screamed to run, _get away, please_ \- but the dragon could not help the sadistic smirk that tugged at his lips.

If Takumi had been conscious, he probably would have fainted. Anankos figured getting his hands dirty would serve as a distraction, as well as give him a fun time. Being in the body of a seven-year-old was restricting and the thought of killing something was too enticing to miss out on. He would apologize to Takumi later, but keeping them alive and getting to have fun after all this time was too good of a deal to miss out on.

He placed the mason jar behind him and grinned as the coyotes began to charge. A purple aura oozed from his body and his eyes burned a fierce red, extra golden-red eyes opening on his face. He let out his own feral growl before pouncing on the animals, clawing at them and effectively killing them without getting so much as a scratch on the body. He missed his fangs and his claws, but he could make do with this human body.

Getting up to his feet, he smirked down triumphantly at the carnage, using his arm to wipe some of the splattered blood off his face. He licked at some of it before kicking the dogs for good measure, getting a quiet whimper out of one of them.

" _Stay dead!_ " He barked, stomping on its underside before it keeled over. Scanning over the other two, it looked like a job well done. It left him feeling unfinished; the fight was anticlimactic and the adrenaline coursing through him still demanded more action, but he knew it would be detrimental to push his limits. He did not need Takumi getting hurt and impairing his growth.

He walked back to grab the jar and then headed towards the Shirasagi house, allowing his extra eyes to close and vanish like they were never there at all. The violet aura stopped rolling off him in waves and he debated giving control back to Takumi. It would certainly help to avoid another confrontation from Mikoto or another family member, but the plan died with the fact that there was still blood covering him.

Anankos entered through the backdoor and made his way to the bathroom. He placed the mason jar onto the counter and found himself looking in the mirror; disheveled gray hair, a pale face coated in dried blood, and tired, red eyes stared back at him. The body was looking worse for wear but there was nothing a bath could not fix.

Running the water and filling the tub, he mentally nudged Takumi. _You can use a bath, you don't look that well._

Stirring from unconsciousness and thrown back into control of his body, Takumi answered groggily. "How did I get home...?" Suddenly, he gasped, fear evident on his features. "The coyotes! W-what happened?!"

Anankos hushed the boy, urging him to step into the tub. _I took care of those pathetic creatures. ... Just clean yourself before somebody comes here asking why you're screaming to yourself._

Hesitantly, Takumi complied and undressed, sliding into the warm water. Already feeling a bit better, he figured he could get filled in on what had happened while he was unconscious. However, before he could form the question, he felt something on his face. Reaching for it, the slightly solid substance felt odd against his fingers. Gazing at his fingertips, they almost gleamed red...

"Is this... blood?" It was a whisper but it held fear all the same. Anankos almost felt guilty for allowing his blood lust to get the best of him, but killing a few aggressive dogs seemed like a mild price to pay for keeping his partner safe. Nevertheless, seeing Takumi like this reminded him of the original Takumi, leading to unwelcomed memories flashing across his eyes.

He choked on his words but recomposed himself. _I said I took care of those coyotes, did I not?_ Doubt entered his voice, hoping he had not upset Takumi. _It was either you or them, Taki._

Typically, Takumi would have argued. He would have yelled and said the dragon should have just ran and not killed those coyotes for no reason. However, his exhaustion was getting the better of him and he was unable to find the energy in himself to fight. The argument could wait for another time; it was probably past his bedtime and he had school to look forward to the following day.

Reflecting back on the day, his thoughts drifted to his new neighbor. Arrogant and prissy Leo Windmire flashed in his mind and he was reminded of another reason to dread going tomorrow. It was only a matter of time before they got into a fight and the teacher separated them. And at the moment, that did not sound awfully bad to Takumi. He would probably get to sit next to a friendlier person and make a new friend.

Anankos kept quiet, taking note of his partner's silence and shifting thoughts. The dragon knew that there were many other reasons why Takumi and that blonde boy had not gotten along but he refused to indulge those secrets. Not yet, at least. If Takumi failed to remember his dream from the other night and Anankos' confession, he would prefer to keep their relationship how it was. Telling the boy that him and Leo acted the same way in the first life would lead to questions about their reincarnation and how they became connected in the first place.

After washing up and drying himself, Takumi wrapped himself in a towel and headed to his room, not forgetting his dirty clothes and the mason jar of fireflies. Once there, he put the jar on his nightstand and proceeded to change into nightclothes. He untied his hair, allowing it to fall right above his shoulders. He grabbed a book from his desk before sliding into the covers, smiling as the light emitted from the jar provided a book light of sorts.

_It seems you and the boy are more alike than you think._ It left Anankos' mouth before he could reconsider his words, but it was worth the reaction he got out of his partner.

"What boy? Are you talking about that jerk from school?" He frowned, thoughts leaving the thrilling story he had just indulged himself into and returning to that blond-haired boy from school.

The dragon smirked, already seeing a pattern. _If you got to know him, I bet you would make good friends with him._

"Would not!"

_Would too!_

It seemed this life was not all too different from the original after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: [Young Takumi in the firefly forest by u/bluedotdenizen on Reddit!](https://i.imgur.com/kzygt5y.jpg)


	4. Blue Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I've ever updated a story so frequently... Thank you all once again for the support!! I don't think I have any notes to give to preface this so I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

Takumi shifted in his seat, elbow propped onto his desk and cheek in his palm. His teacher was discussing something about basic arithmetic but he had finished his work awhile ago, now finding himself bored out of his mind. He glanced to his right, observing Leo reading and equally unfocused on the teacher.

The boy's amber eyes rolled over the rest of the classroom but nothing seemed to catch his attention. Why could he not just skip a grade? It seemed like everyday he would finish his work early and zone out. His thoughts would trail back to the nights spent practicing his archery and coming home to read under the luminescence of fireflies, his conversations with Ryuurei when he could not sleep and during his dreams.

Takumi frowned, remembering that his father was going to test his archery after he got home from school. He may have been skilled for his age, but only hitting a bulls-eye 46 times out of 50 was atrocious. His father would surely think him a disgrace and send him off. Ryoma could probably do better, even if it was his first time picking up a bow.

As much as he loved his siblings, there was envy that undermined his thoughts. Ryoma was a freshman in high school and already seen as a star-to-be on the football team. He was excelling in his classes and was easily in the top ten of his year. Hinoka was in middle school but was the star of the girl's volleyball team. She may not have been as smart as her older brother but she certainly matched him in brawn and will power. Kamui was only a year older than him but was more promising than he could ever hope to be: everybody was her friend and she was a natural leader. Even little five-year-old Sakura had a kindness that shined beyond her years and was a beacon of happiness.

And himself? Takumi scowled under his breath. There was nothing about him that made him special, nothing that separated him from his siblings. Anything he did, he was outdone by one of them, left in their shadows. He wasn't good enough to be a Shirasagi. He never _was_.

Anankos stirred from his sleep. He was instantly bombarded by pessimistic thoughts and negative emotions seeping into his consciousness. He could feel tears pricking at his partner's eyes and fingernails digging into his leg to hold them back. If it had been the first life, before they had bonded, the dragon would have taken pleasure in seeing the boy suffer with his own inner demons; now, it pained him equally.

He knew he could not leave his partner like this. Exerting some control over the body, he repressed the negative thoughts and brought happier memories to Takumi's conscious. Feeling the boy slowly relax and stop stabbing his leg was already a step in the right direction. It made Anankos wonder why he had ever intentionally caused this child pain.

Blinking away his tears, Takumi was unable to recall what had caused them in the first place. His thigh had nail markings on them and he had to question if he had done them or not. For some reason, memories of spending time with his family and laughs shared together flashed in his vision and he could not help himself from smiling with nostalgia.

"Takumi," the teacher's voice drew him from his thoughts and his arm fell onto his desk in surprise. He decided to ignore Leo's quiet snickering as the woman continued. "Would you like to explain your answer for number eight?"

Sliding his paper towards him from the corner of his desk, his eyes rolled over to the problem. It was a simple addition problem followed by using division. "Well, you have to add four, and that gives you twelve. Then, you divide by two and get six."

He slumped back into his chair after a praise from his teacher. At least the day was nearly over.

He was caught off guard by the mutter from his neighbor. "Are you bored out of your mind too?"

As much as Takumi wanted to instantly agree, he felt the urge to give the blond a snarky reply. "Wow, I didn't know you could read _and_ talk. You made it seem like you couldn't multitask the other day."

Leo clicked his tongue and acted unctuous but Takumi noticed the way his fingers twitched in recoil. "I guess we're in the same boat because I didn't know you could be bratty _and_ prickly."

He nearly lost his temper and yelled but reconsidered due to the consequences. The teacher calling him out in front of the entire class, a warning, a call home... His mind swirled with the repercussions from a single action. He lowered his voice into a whisper-shout, "And you wonder why you have no friends!"

Leo seethed, garnet eyes narrowed. "Like you have any!" Takumi sure had a way with riling up the blond. Typically he was cool and composed, but there was something about the gray-haired boy that set him off.

Takumi nearly rebutted he had Ryuurei but held his tongue. What good was an imaginary friend? Leo would simply make fun of him and admitting his existence was worse than saying he had no friends. Being so lonely that he made up an imaginary friend sounded shallow and childish.

Instead, he hmph'ed, crossed his arms, and turned away from the blond. Leo returned to his book and Takumi checked the boy in his peripherals every once in awhile. They stayed like that for a few minutes and it was not too long after that class was let out. He grabbed his bag and kept as far away from Leo as he could on the way out.

When he spotted Kamui, Sakura, and Mikoto, he strode over. He tugged at his backpack as it hung limply from one shoulder and smiled at the hug from his mother.

"Are we ready to go?" Her voice was gentle, barely heard over the chatter from the families around them. The three children nodded and they began to walk. The sun was out and there was a nice breeze, making the walk pleasant.

Not too far from the school, Sakura became tired and Takumi gave her a piggy back ride - something that his mother smiled at him for. Perhaps being a big brother was the only thing Takumi was good for.

When they arrived home, Mikoto made her way to the kitchen and began to start cooking dinner. "I should be done in about two hours. Make sure to do your homework or you won't get dessert!"

The three agreed before going their own ways; Kamui went with Sakura to play with their dolls and Takumi dropped his backpack off in his room before heading back outside. He retrieved the target, his wooden bow, and the quiver filled with arrows before making his way to the woods near his house. Getting some practice in before his father got home from work to evaluate him sounded like a good plan.

As he walked, he clicked his tongue and called out to Ryuurei. "Ryu, are you up?"

Anankos had not been sleeping but he liked giving his partner his privacy. He _did_ enjoy watching the argument with the soul that was once Prince Leo of Nohr, however.

 _I am now_ , he whispered. Taking notice of the weight in Takumi's arms, he inquired, _Are you practicing again?_

"Yep. I need to be the best I can be if I want Tou- _chan_ to be proud of me." The boy nodded and Anankos found himself drawing more similarities between this Takumi and the original. Both had that same drive to become better and push their limits, as well as the undermining motivation of becoming "worthy" of being a part of his family.

The Silent Dragon hummed, mind trailing back to the Hoshidan royal family. Of course, many of his memories of that time were from Takumi's perspective, who idolized his siblings. Anankos could not tell if the boy's siblings were as amazing as he made them out to be, but they had to have _some_ talent to be worthy of being royals.

"Um, Ryu?" The slight hesitation in Takumi's voice surprised him.

 _Yes, Taki?_ He kept the confusion from entering his tone but he wondered what was bothering Takumi. Was it last night's incident with the coyotes? Or maybe it was about his dream a few nights ago about the fall into the Bottomless Canyon?

"Are... Are you just in my head? Like an imaginary friend?"

Oh.

It sounded stupid at face value; a seven-year-old old child asking if his imaginary friend was real or not. Anankos could easily lie and say he was a figment of Takumi's imagination but something told him not to. Telling the truth was certainly not as enticing either - how he admitted during the dream was beyond him - so a half-truth would do for now.

Thinking back on what he told the boy when he first revealed himself, he made up his mind. _I told you I was your protector, didn't I?_ You _were the one who called me your friend._

Truthfully, Takumi could not remember when he first met Ryuurei. For as long as he could remember, there was a voice in his head and it kept him company when his family was preoccupied. He did not exactly have real friends either so the voice was his only "friend," if one could even call him that. He never really questioned it - he knew many other children had intangible companions but none of the others had blackouts and found themselves in places they were before losing consciousness.

"You didn't answer my question, Ryu," he stated plainly; there was determination in his voice. He had stopped in his tracks not too far from the clearing in the middle of the forest, placing the archery supplies on the grass in front of him temporarily. He proceeded to cross his arms, a familiar stance it seemed, and continued with just as much precision. "I asked if you were all in my head. Are you a figment of my imagination? Did I make you up because I had no friends? ... Is there going to be a time where I grow up and you won't be there anymore?"

The dragon held his tongue, the words caught in his throat. The boy was perceptive and suspicious as always, and Anankos found himself finding even more similarities to the first life. Perhaps Takumi remembered the dream and had not let up on it; maybe he got the hint that Anankos was not what he seemed and something urged him to ask. Indulging the child with a few secrets would not be too bad...

 _To answer your question,_ no _, I'm not a figment of your imagination,_ he spat out the words with more distaste than he intended, but there was no apologizing for his tone at this point. _And..._ well _... I won't be leaving you._

The _we've been connected for hundreds of years_ was left unsaid.

Informing Takumi of all of the pain he had suffered through during that first lifetime would be too much for a seven-year-old. Maybe when he was older - much older - Anankos might finally tell him the truth. Perhaps burying the memories of the White Night Kingdom and the war was for the best. This was a new life, after all.

Without answering, Takumi picked up his archery supplies and continued walking to the clearing. Anankos almost confronted the boy about the silence he was met with but he figured he would give him time to think. It may not have been the entire truth, but it was enough to turn the gears in his head. The dragon decided to leave the boy to his own devices and head to the subconscious, busying himself with looking through old memories.

Takumi pegged the target to a tree and walked a few meters away, nocking an arrow into the bow. He steadied his aim and fired, landing a bulls-eye. He frowned, noticing it was not dead center but slightly off.

Ryuurei's words replayed in his head and, no matter how often he attempted to refocus on his archery, his thoughts continuously returned to what the voice had said. He was not an imaginary friend? He would be in his head forever? What kind of thing _was_ Ryuurei?

Takumi almost regretted asking. His trust in the voice was beginning to waver and the fear of some _thing_ in his head taking control of his body crept into his thoughts. The rational part of his mind tried to rule that out; there was no way Ryuurei was going to hurt him. If he had bad intentions, he could have easily already done something to Takumi or his family.

His family. What if he told someone about Ryuurei's existence? Maybe his mother could give reassuring words and wash his fears away. Kamui was also good with words; maybe she could comfort him. 

Suddenly, pain shot through his head. It felt like something in his brain had _snapped_. The pain was sharp and lanced through his skull in a split second and a scream nearly escaped his lips. It _would_ have if his body had not tensed up. He collapsed to his hands and knees, and visions of things he never experienced bombarded him.

He saw blood. Blood and corpses and more blood, violet smoke crawling up his skin and ungodly amounts of bodies surrounding him. He saw a man with a katana dug deep into his chest. He saw a woman on the verge of death, one he knew was important to him, in the arms of someone undeserving, and he felt anger build up in his chest. Hatred rose like bile in his throat, and the flames enveloped him until he was no more. Words he failed to make out echoed in his head and he felt the urge to kill, to kill _her_.

Someone was shaking him. Almost instantly, he came to, hands gripping at his head and tears rolling down his cheeks. He would have went to brush them away but was still in shock after what had happened.

"Are you okay?" He looked up to meet golden eyes and cyan hair and a concerned expression. He was still disoriented but found himself coming back to himself with just her touch.

"I-I think so..." The fear he felt died away, and his heart was beginning to slow to its normal pace. He was reassuring the girl just as much as he was reassuring himself, but she only seemed mildly pleased by his answer by the look on her face.

"Are you sure? I heard you screaming all the way from the lake," she pouted, and Takumi realized she could not be that much older than him. Her voice was higher pitched than his but her words held a maturity to them beyond her years. Something about her seemed familiar but he could not quite put his finger on it.

"I was screaming...?" Distantly he wondered what she would think of him, a boy clutching his head screaming in the middle of the woods. Did she think he was crazy? Surely, if the roles were reversed, he would write her off as some wack job. And if she told anyone about how she found him, he would have to run away and hide; his pride would be in shambles and he would never be able to show his face again.

She nodded and was hesitant to take her hands away from him; he still looked weak and she feared he would collapse as soon as she let go. To salvage any sense of pride he had left, he steadied himself on his own and she leaned back, getting a better look at him. Takumi felt self-conscious under her gaze but her eyes were soft and warm; she reminded him of his mother.

"My name is Azura... And what may I call you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tl;dr: Takumi and Leo fight, Takumi questions the voice in his head, tries to practice his archery, Anankos looks through his memory and gives his partner flashbacks™, and Azura comes to save the day.
> 
> So I have a project I haven't started and it's due on Monday so I'm going to do that. If I don't get the next chapter out within the next few days, blame school. Then again, I've been procrastinating by writing four chapters already so we'll see how far I get with that.


	5. Unraveling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A... darker chapter, to say the least. We're getting into darker themes the further we explore Takumi's character.
> 
> There's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end and I don't forsee an update for a couple of days. I know I say that every chapter but I mean it this time. I need to stop procrastinating on homework so I don't know when I'll update next. If you see a new chapter tomorrow, shame on me I guess.

Takumi pulled his knees to his chest, burying his face in his arms. It muffled his crying but the sobs wracking his entire body could still be heard over the gentle stream of the lake.

He wasn't worthy. He could see the disappointment in his father's eyes, hear his words replaying in his head. His nerves had gotten the best of him and he missed all of his shots; his father would think he was lying if he said he typically landed bullseye's. First a pitiful archer, then a _liar_? He truly was a disgrace and a waste of space.

He squeezed his eyes shut, still whimpering and gasping between sobs. His father probably hated him now. The great Sumeragi Shirasagi with a son as pathetic as him? Maybe if he ran away and never returned home, everybody would forget about him. Ryoma would be the one and only perfect son. Hinoka, Kamui, and Sakura could actually have a brother they could look up to. His parents would have no pitiful children and the Shirasagi name would not be tarnished by his existence. They would be better off without him.

Was... Was someone singing?

He lifted his head, still choking on his sobs, but he did his best to wipe his tears away. Hiccuping and trying to regulate his breathing, he listened more intently and he began to make out words. The more he listened, the calmer he felt, and he felt his sadness being washed away. Intrigued, he wiped at his face and got up from against the tree, following the lake's edge towards the origin of the voice.

Upon arriving, he saw the girl he met earlier. She was sitting on a low-cut tree stump, bare feet dipped into the water as she sang. As soon as she heard his footsteps, she ceased her song and turned to look at him, surprise written over her features.

"Takumi!" She nearly yelped, hand on her bosom, "I didn't know you were still here."

If she picked up on the fact that his face was still red and he looked like he was just crying, she made no mention of it. Takumi held a neutral expression, unsure of what to make of the girl. When he talked to her earlier, he was still disoriented from his... episode? She had snapped him out of that trance, which he was thankful for, but he could barely remember anything besides her name and the comfort her touch brought him.

"I never left," he stated simply, amber gaze observing her form. Her cyan hair fell past her shoulders and she wore a simple white dress; it complemented her figure nicely. Averting his eyes after thinking such thoughts, he continued. "I needed time alone - to think."

She frowned, golden eyes careful and meticulous of his small tics and habits. "You were crying before, weren't you?"

He danced a step back, caught off guard by her attentiveness. Was he really that easy to read? Nevertheless, he crossed his arms and fell right back into his typically habit: denying everything. "O-of course not! Why would I be?"

Azura sighed, closing her eyes. It was almost as if she was used to his personality even though they had only known each other for a few hours. "You don't have to be so defensive of everything; There's no shame in admitting the truth."

Takumi opened his mouth in protest but found no words. She was right, but his pride would not allow him to admit that. Instead, he hummed a note of his discontent before turning his gaze to the lake. There was hardly any ripples in the water; it seemed perfectly at equilibrium - at peace. The lake seemed like the perfect manifestation of Azura's personality and Takumi couldn't help but find her being there ironic.

Looking back to her, her figure was replaced by a young woman, much older than the one who sat there a moment ago. She had longer hair, a more embellished gown, but golden eyes just as warm.

However, just as suddenly as she appeared, she was gone, leaving the young girl in her place. He raised his eyebrows in confusion, not comprehending what had just occurred. Was he seeing things? Was his vision playing tricks on him?

"Um," her gentle voice brought his from his thoughts, "is there a reason you're staring at me...?"

His face flushed and he turned away immediately. "N-no! I wasn't staring!" Seeing the obvious confusion written on her face at his constant switch of behavior, he turned on his heel. "I was going now a-anyways! Bye, Azura!"

He was gone before the girl even had a chance to bid him farewell. She frowned at his absence, eyes flicking back to the lake. "Was it something I said?"

* * *

At the clearing in the forest, far from the lake, Takumi paced back and forth. That was the second time that day his vision had played tricks on him. First he had those visions while practicing his archery, and now he had them while looking at Azura? He shook his head, scrunching his brow and narrowing his eyes in thought.

He thought back on Ryuurei once again, noticing how quiet it had been in his absence. Typically, the voice would have butted in around now. Maybe it was the voice's fault for what had occurred? But how? With every possible conclusion he drew, more questions arose. There were too many mysteries unraveling in his thoughts and none of them made sense in the least bit. If Ryuurei had caused those visions, how did he? What _was_ Ryuurei? Why was there a voice in his head to begin with?

Takumi's head ached just at the thought. There were too many factors to consider and not enough evidence to confirm anything. However, waiting for things to resolve themselves sounded unbearable; the boy had no patience and felt like he had to do things himself without the help of others.

"Takumiiiiiii!"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up, seeing a figure running towards him. "Kamui- _nee_? What are you doing here?"

The girl grabbed his wrist and began dragging him in the direction she came running from. "What do you mean, what am I doing here? Everybody's been looking for you!"

Takumi paled, words dying on his tongue. They had been looking for him? He had forgotten that he ran away from his father after his botched attempt of showing off his archery skills. "R-really?" was all he could stutter out, amazed his family cared enough to find a failure like him.

Kamui turned to him, looking down although she was barely taller. She had a confused look in her red eyes, as if she was unable to comprehend what her little brother had said. "You didn't think everyone was going to leave you behind, did you?"

She had taken the words right out of his mouth, always knowing what to say and picking up on small details. Takumi could not understand why his family could still possibly care enough to look for him, but stating it out loud sounded conceited. He refused to accept or deny what she said but the silence gave Kamui her answer.

She stopped in her tracks, surprising the boy, and proceeded to lean down to make eye contact. "Takumi, I love you. Your siblings love you. Your parents love you. Don't ever think we don't care for you."

He wanted to argue, to say he wasn't worth their love and faith, but the determination in his sister's eyes caused him to hold his tongue and nod in reply. The two continued their walk home in silence, Kamui still holding his hand and Takumi with his eyes glued to his shoes and feelings of inadequacy spinning in his head.

When they arrived home, he got both hugs and reprimands to never run away again. Despite the displays of affection, all Takumi could do was nod and provide empty promises. He felt drained physically and emotionally and could hardly wait to get to his room. Nightmares sounded like the more bearable choice at the moment if it meant he could sleep.

After dinner, he headed up to his room and sat on the foot of his bed. He glanced over to the empty mason jar on this desk next to a book with a bookmark sticking out of it, memories of a happier time coming to him.

He frowned, falling back onto the mattress and staring up at his ceiling. Why was he unable to shake the sadness he felt? Kamui personally went and found him and returned him home to the love of his family - so why did he feel so numb to their touch?

He narrowed his eyes, fingers locked behind his head. In a whisper that held a strong conviction, he called out into the silence of his room. "Ryuurei."

The dragon had been waiting for his partner to call him out- by his full name, nonetheless. Anankos had only mildly been paying attention to the external world the past few hours, leaving Takumi alone until he was called for. However, the conversation with Azura, the reincarnated soul of his once-niece, brought up his own memories which were, in turn, strong enough to stir Takumi's own.

Anankos did not speak, waiting for Takumi to take the initiative. The boy kept his eyes narrowed, as if thinking over whatever he was going to say. After what felt like several minutes, he frowned and the words came to his lips.

"You haven't been telling me the truth, have you?" It was ambiguous; the question was phrased with the sole intent to lead on the dragon. Takumi had figured out Anankos was more than a voice in his head but his inquiry could have meant other revelations as well. How much did the boy know? How much did he _remember_?

Anankos could be ambiguous as well. _... I've told you what you need to know - that is all._

Takumi frowned; his trust in Ryuurei was beginning to dissipate. He raised his voice, frustration undermining his tone. "How do you expect me to trust you when you're intentionally hiding things from me?"

Anankos winced. He hadn't expected his partner to become so riled up. He reconsidered his words and spoke them carefully. _There are some things you are better off not knowing; trust me on that, at least._

The boy twitched, bolting upright and clenching the blanket in his fists. "That's exactly what I'm talking about! You never tell me the entire truth. Trust is a two way street - Have you been lying to me this entire time?"

There was as much hurt as conviction evident in his tone. He was nearly snarling at the dragon, and Anankos found the anger nearly identical to that from the first life. This soul and being betrayed seemed to coexist, and the Silent Dragon almost felt a twinge of guilt. Was keeping his partner from the truth worth it?

He fell silent. Yes - sheltering Takumi from memories of the first life was worth it. If worst came to worst, there was always purging the boy's memory. Anankos would hate to do such an act, but if it saved his partner the pain and anguish, it was an act of mercy.

Takumi growled, "Fine! Don't answer me - I knew you wouldn't tell me anyways."

Anankos felt the mess of emotions tearing at Takumi but spoke nothing of it. Perhaps it would be better to leave the boy alone - for good. Or, he could give his partner personal space until his presence was needed again. After all, there was a reason the dragon never revealed his presence in the other twenty-something lives. Reconciling with the soul seemed to always end in disaster, and Anankos was no stranger to dead ends and unfortunate endings.

Takumi curled up on his bed, holding onto himself as if letting go would cause him to fall apart. His head felt like it was going to split in half and an undecipherable bundle of emotions threatened to snap his heart. He was unraveling at the seams and the lack of a comforting voice solidified the fact that, for the first time in his life, he was truly _alone_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thinking of putting a time skip here. I've kind of liked writing Takumi at this age but I think it's time to move on to ten or eleven. Thoughts?
> 
> But yeah. I almost feel bad for writing this chapter. There's a clear divide growing between Takumi and Anankos and the end of this chapter is hinting at what's happening next. Fun fact: the title of this chapter serves as a double entendre.
> 
> Thank you all again for the support. See you next chapter!


	6. Critical Mass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snow day today so I had time to write! I've had so many different idea for this chapter and rewritten it a few times and I'm still iffy on the direction I went with it. I definitely should up the rating on this now...
> 
> Some notes to preface this:  
> *There is a time skip of four years between this chapter and the last one, meaning Takumi is 11.  
> *At the end of the last chapter, Anankos basically wiped Takumi's memories of himself before lying dormant. Anankos had been sleeping these four years and has left Takumi alone, meaning he doesn't know anything that's happened in the past four years.  
> *Sumeragi is the head of a big corporation/firm and has quite a lot of money. The kids know their dad has a good job but it isn't exactly something that they remember half of the time. This will make sense in the second half of the chapter I hope.  
> *Warning, the second half of this chapter is pretty dark. And that scene will carry over into the next chapter so I guess that'll be dark also.

Reflecting on his life so far, Takumi noticed how spotty his memory was at times.

He could remember playing with dolls with Sakura and Kamui when he was younger, or how he would play catch with Ryoma or having running competitions with Hinoka. He could remember running off with Sakura at parties and finding places to hide, or the times Ryoma would give him piggyback rides and then would run through the forest as if they were warriors.

He could remember the slow process of becoming friends with Leo, that jerk he met when he was in second grade. It took many fights and arguments but they eventually found out that they had a lot in common and bonded over those things. Later on, he found out his friend Azura, the one he met in the forest and grew close to, was Leo's older sister, which was a surprise in itself.

He could remember becoming friends with Hinata and Oboro, and he couldn't recall when they started coming over to his house nearly every day after school. Either it was them or Leo was over to work on a project or study for their classes. They seemed to always have his back, to the point they would call him their "liege". How he ended up with friends as loyal and dependable as that, he would never know.

What he couldn't remember, however, was mostly before the age of seven. There were times where he woke up somewhere he didn't remember going, or when people would tell him he did things he could never recall doing. It was odd to think about but it was years in the past now. He was eleven now and breezing through junior high, with friends he could trust and depend on. If it was so easy to make friends now, why had he not had any in elementary school? Was he weird as a child? He couldn't remember.

"You're so different now," Leo began, walking besides Takumi to the Shirasagi house, "I can just remember sitting next to you in second grade and wondering _what is wrong with this kid_. You used to mutter things to yourself and you always seemed like you were in a different world than anyone else."

Takumi wanted to ask what Leo meant by half of that but he found his snarkiness get the best of him. "So you spent most of your time in class _staring at me_?"

Leo winced but composed himself quickly. "You act like I didn't see you constantly looking at _me_ when you thought I wasn't looking..." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Insufferable. You're truly insufferable."

Takumi developed a hate for that word after Leo would incessantly use it to describe him. Typically, this would be when he would begin to refute the blond's claims out of concern for his pride but he felt his energy to argue drain him. What Leo had said before was what he was truly curious about and a petty argument over nothing was meaningless.

"Hey, Leo," he said as offhandedly as he could manage, "What did you mean about that stuff before? About me talking to myself when I was younger?"

The blond scoffed, apparently bemused at the question. "You don't remember? You used to whisper things to yourself like you were having a conversation with someone." The boy laughed to himself, "Did... Did you have an imaginary friend or something?"

Slightly embarrassed, Takumi crossed his arms across his chest and looked anywhere besides his friend's face. "O-of course not! That's just pitiful."

Whatever conversation they had after that was a blur to Takumi. By the time they got to the house, he greeted his family and took off his shoes without even consciously thinking about it. By the time he was sitting in the living room in front of the table across from Leo, his thoughts had failed to catch up with him.

For some reason, Leo bringing up the possibility of an imaginary friend left Takumi at a loss. For some reason, the notion left him feeling empty and he felt like it was simply mockable; he was stuck over the fact of not knowing if he had an imaginary friend or not when he was a child. However, it was at the forefront of his mind and he could do nothing to shoo it from his thoughts.

"Takumi, you're doing it again." Leo shook his shoulder lightly, bringing him back to reality.

Right. Stupid thoughts like those should be set aside. What did it matter if he had one or not? Still pondering about it was a waste of time while they needed to study and work on a project.

The two got to work for a few hours, and after they finished, they played video games until they called it a night. After Leo got picked up by his older brother, Takumi headed to his room, appreciative of the silence. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy Leo's presence and wanted him gone; he just needed time to himself to think.

Takumi sat on the foot of his bed and took a glance around the room. Not too long ago, he rearranged the furniture so that his bed was now right beside the window. He took notice of the old mason jar on his nightstand and smiled to himself.

When he was younger, he used to collect fireflies and bring them home to serve as a book light. He always went alone (something he questioned as a seven year old) and returned home before dark so he would get the most of his nightly reading time. He had a feeling that there was something else to that story but the boy could hardly recall any other details.

He thought back to other experiences in the forest. There was practicing archery, meeting Azura for the first time... And something else. There _was_ something else, right?

A headache began to form behind his eyes and he rubbed at his temples, hoping to ease the pain away. This seemed to happen whenever he thought about certain memories, which seemed odd to him. He had talked about the occurrence to his mother but she nodded as she listened, pulling him into a hug most of the time. She would then proceed to mention something about not listening to what a certain person says or not obeying this person's wishes- but what exactly was she warning him about? _Who_ exactly was she warning him about?

There was something he was forgetting. That, or his family was hiding something from him. But why would they do such a thing? What was so harmful that it needed to be hidden from him? He needed to find out or his curiosity would consume him.

Getting to his feet, he strode to his parents' room. Pushing the door open, he saw Mikoto, sitting in a chair beside her bed with a book in her hands. Turning her head to see him, she closed the book immediately. Takumi could tell from the cover that it was that book she seemed to always be reading (and rereading). It was a history book about some obscure war that took place hundreds of years ago. Why his mother had that much of an interest in it, he would never know.

"Takumi," she beckoned, waiting for him to sit on her bed. When he pushed himself onto the bed and began swinging his legs over the edge, she continued. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

Mikoto had always been a good listener. On top of that, she always had the best advice to give, no matter the topic. It was a trait that was passed down to Kamui, along with the kindness and warmth the two exerted. Takumi always felt acknowledged and appreciated around Mikoto, especially when they had time alone like this. Just the sound of her voice disquieted his fears and anxieties.

He chewed on his lip, eyes roving around his parents' bedroom; it was dimly lit but the moonlight shone through the glass doors behind him. Afraid to make eye contact with his step-mother, he began hesitantly. "You know how you told me to not listen to that person? Well..." He frowned, unsure of himself the longer he contemplated his words. "I don't k- who exactly were you talking about?"

Mikoto gazed at him solemnly, kind eyes half-lidded. It was almost as if she was deciding on whether she wanted to speak or not. Finally, she parted her lips and spoke slowly, an unnameable emotion lacing her tone. "Do... Do you really not know?"

Takumi was dumbstruck. Was he supposed to know this? The more he thought about it, he had no idea who his mother thought was dangerous for him to be around. If she had been warning him about this person, she would have had to know how dangerous it was. Nevertheless, nothing came to the boy besides a dull throb behind his eyes.

With all of the confusion he was experiencing, he admitted, "Am I _supposed_ to?"

The woman seemed to glance at the book in her hands before placing it aside. She strode over to the bed, sitting beside her step-son, and pulled him to her chest. She held the back of his head and rubbed circles into his back; it felt therapeutic but he had no idea why she was doing it.

Before he could even question it, she whispered close to his ear. "My dearest Takumi... You might not know it but there is somebody who wants to use and manipulate you. He will try to take everything you love away from you and _you_ are the only one who can stop him."

Takumi's head was spinning. There was somebody that was going to use him? Somebody who was going to steal everything from him? And he was supposed to be the only one that could stop this person? It seemed coming to Mikoto only spurred more questions than he started with.

He went to rub his temples to soothe the pain he felt questering in his head but stopped as a question came to his lips. "Is my head supposed to hurt this much?"

She pulled him closer, his face now buried in her shoulder. She shut her eyes, thinking back on her book and how oddly familiar it all seemed; history was repeating itself and her son was at risk again.

"No," she said, praying Anankos would be merciful, "it isn't."

* * *

"Okay, Sakura," Takumi tugged at her hand lightly, "it's time to go home now- say bye to your friends."

The nine-year-old pouted and parted with the other children with hugs and waves. She retook her place at her older brother's side and they began to leave the front of the school, making their way home.

The boy glanced around, taking notice of the different colors the leaves changed as autumn began. It was a simple sight he saw every day around this season, but it still brought a smile to his lips. He knew Sakura preferred the spring, where trees of her namesake would begin to bud, but he personally preferred fall. The breeze was therapeutic through his hair and the air held the perfect temperature, all on top of the color-changing leaves.

With a smile, he turned to his younger sister. "How was school today?"

Her peach eyes seemed to light up like stars as a grin tugged at her lips. "I-I had a great time today! I've already m-made so many friends this year!"

Pride filled his chest as he pulled her into one-arm hug, laughter bubbling. "That's my sister! I'm so proud of you, you know."

Although Takumi loved all of his siblings, he was especially close to Sakura. He loved helping her through her shyness and complimenting her on everything she would do to boost her confidence. Overall, he wanted her to realize her full potential and do everything he didn't have the opportunity to do.

"H-hey, you can l-let go now, nii-san," she mumbled, blushing at his praises. She appreciated his love and support but sometimes it was a bit overwhelming to her.

He pulled away, giggling sheepishly. "Sorry, I got a bit carried away there," he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassment overtaking him. It seemed embarrassing Sakura led to embarrassing himself as well. Nevertheless, he loved to praise her.

As they continued to walk, it was relatively quiet aside from their conversation. Every now and then there would be a sound and Takumi would find himself looking over his shoulder out of paranoia; there was nobody following them but his nerves were getting the best of him.

Shaking off his fear, he tightened his grip on Sakura's hand and quickened his pace. The girl took notice, a similar fear crawling into her veins as well. "Nii-san? What's wrong-?"

"We have to get home. _Now_."

Takumi was tackled to the asphalt below him, his right arm taking the brunt of the impact. He felt rocks digging into his skin and he shut his eye against the pain, using the other to get a look of the person on top of him.

There was a man with a mask covering his face and a hood draped over his head pinning the boy to the sidewalk. He was somehow able to bound Takumi's wrists and ankles together before the boy even noticed and was currently gagging him.

"Wha- who are y- mmph-!" He couldn't speak past the gag and began to use his energy to squirm against his captor. In his peripherals, he could see Sakura paralyzed in fear. He tried to yell for her to run but his words were incomprehensible. By the time she began to move, it was too late; she was soon blindfolded, gagged, and bound at her hands and wrists. It was not too long after that he was blindfolded as well.

Hearing his sister's muffled sobs and having the situation sink in, he felt the urge to cry. He had no idea who this man was or what he wanted from them. Worst of all, Takumi knew he was powerless in all of this. He would be used as a hostage, a play thing, or possibly even killed. He would offer his life if the man would at least let Sakura go, but it seemed highly unlikely at this point. He was planning on using the siblings for something. It made him wonder: was this the person his mother warned him about?

They were pushed into a van and driven to a strange building, where the two were ungracefully pushed to the ground when they got inside. Takumi could already feel the cold on the floor beneath him and the cuts across his legs from the falls he had taken. He held back his tears, knowing his captor would manipulate him for showing emotion, but hearing his sister sob beside him tore his heart in two.

Was somebody going to save them? Were they ever going to be found? Takumi and Sakura were too young to die- they had their entire lives ahead of them. Young Sakura with so much kindness and love had no right to die- this sentiment fueled the hatred burning in his chest. He had to stay alive. He had to keep her alive.

"Think of the money I can get off these two brats," their kidnapper mused, his smile present in his voice. "Heirs of the Shirasagi firm! Don't you know your daddy has more money than you can even dream of?" He sneered, laughing to himself. "Let's see if he thinks your lives are worth the price."

Takumi paled. They were being used as hostages to get ransom money from their father? He cursed himself for being so foolish and allowing his father to fall into this situation. He tried to voice his anger verbally but the gag in his mouth prohibited that. Biting against it to quench the hatred he felt, he reminded himself to stay rational. One wrong move and the man could easily just kill him or Sakura.

The man removed Takumi's blindfold, allowing him to get a look around the room. It seemed to be an abandoned building, with grim gray walls and darkness clinging to the corners. It was empty besides the three of them, which was slightly surprising. The man was working alone, meaning he had no back-up. If the police were able to find them, it would be an easy takedown.

 _If_ , he had to remind himself bleakly. There was the chance they would not be found. Or, there was the option that the man called Sumeragi to demand for money, guilt his father into paying, and then kill them anyways. There was always the chance Sumeragi would call the police and they would take down the man before he could harm the kids- but all of these were hypothetical.

"I wanted you to see something, boy," the man sneered, and the way he strode over to Sakura made his heart drop.

_No. This can't be happening._

The man brandished a gun and pushed it to her head, tangling it in her peach tresses. "I have a feeling your daddy likes this one better so seeing her hurt might be more incentive to pay up."

 _I have to help her. I need to save her._ The mantra continued in his head, pushing him to try to squirm his way over to her. All he knew was the man, the gun pressed to the girl's head, and the anger filling his thoughts. With his ankles bound, all he could do was inch himself forward with what little strength he could muster. _Sakura can't die._ _Sakura can't die!_

Suddenly, the gun was pointed toward him, the man cocking it. The clicking of the barrel turning into place reverberated throughout the building but Takumi was unperturbed. He didn't care if he died- he had to save his sister.

_Somebody, anybody..._

He was grabbed by the collar and he felt the gun get slammed into his skull, the pain disorienting him. It was cold against his head and the reality set in. He wouldn't be able to save Sakura. He was too weak. He was always useless, not good enough. He would be the reason they would both be dead- this was all his fault. He should have heard the man sooner, he should have ran faster. If only he was better, if only he wasn't _weak_ -

_Save me!_

And then, it was dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... It got bad. Sorry for the cliffhanger but I felt it was a good place to stop and the chapter was already dragging on for quite a while.
> 
> Basically this man has kidnapped Takumi and Sakura and plans on using them to get ransom money from Sumeragi. He thinks hurting Sakura a bit will give Sumeragi more of an incentive to pay up (as he will probably put her on the phone as proof that he kidnapped her and Takumi).
> 
> I don't know how obvious the next scene is but I think it'll pan out nicely. Until the next chapter!


	7. Overlap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School got cancelled again today so, once again, I had time to write. I hope I don't get burnout on this story, especially how fast I've been outputting chapters. Let's just hope for the best
> 
> Once again, thank you all for the kudos and comments! I'm so overwhelmed by the response I'm getting from you guys... I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

Takumi opened his eyes slowly, squinting against the light as it shone in through the window above him. He was in his bed, his navy blanket covering up to his neck. Sitting up, he took notice of the bandages tied around his forehead, parts of his arm, and over his shin. What had happened? The gap in his memory did nothing to help him.

He tried to get out of bed but his body seemed too weak to move past sitting up; everything ached and he felt the sting of his injuries lace through his body. On top of it all, he had a headache pulsing in his skull and the sunlight did nothing to ease it.

"Takumi! You're up," Hinoka nearly yelled, a smile on her face. She had been walking past her brother's room and noticed him awake. Her tone showed the happiness she felt but also held a concerned edge to it. "Do you know how worried you made all of us? We thought you weren't going to make it!"

She proceeded to hug him, and although her embrace hurt his weak body, he didn't have the heart to tell her to let go. Hearing how concerned his family was for him, guilt overtook him, only challenged by the confusion he felt. He managed out, "W-what even happened? I don't remember anything..."

The redhead clicked her tongue, pulling away from her younger brother. She kept her hands on his upper arms, her touch reassuring. "How could you not remember something like that?" She frowned slightly, worry filling her eyes. "You and Sakura got kidnapped. The guy was about to shoot you but somebody made it in the nick of time to save you. You're lucky you're even alive, y-"

Takumi couldn't hold his tongue. "Do you know who saved us?"

Why he had asked about his savior rather than the kidnapping itself was a surprise to both siblings; Takumi seemed to wince and Hinoka furrowed her brow. After a silence, the girl found her voice.

"I..." She made direct eye contact, her fiery eyes holding an unreadable emotion. "I don't know. Sakura was blindfolded and you have no memory of it; I thought _you_ would have known."

He leaned back, mouth agape. Through his shock, he forced his brain to form a coherent thought to speak. When he did, impatience crept into his voice: "How were we found if you don't even know who saved us?"

"We got a phone call," she answered calmly, accustomed to her younger brother's mood swings, "and we heard Sakura crying. We called the police and they traced the phone's location to find you. They found you unconscious, Sakura blindfolded and gagged, and your kidnapper dead."

The longer Hinoka spoke, the more Takumi was able to recollect. He could remember walking Sakura home from school and then getting kidnapped. There was the guy telling them they were hostages, and he could remember a gun being pointed at Sakura. Then the gun was pushed to his head.... and...

What had happened next?

According to Hinoka, somebody had called his family. That meant that a person had to have found them, saved Takumi before he got shot, as well as killed their kidnapper before making the call. But how did he not die? He could recall the cold feeling of metal against his head and hear the cocking of the pistol; the feeling of dread filling his bones and the way the world became dark around him.

He was alive, but how? Who had saved him?

Hinoka continued, her voice taking on a hint of hopefulness as her eyes regained their usual fire. "I want to find the person who saved you and thank them. If it wasn't for them, you and Sakura wouldn't be alive right now."

"Yeah," he nodded, eyes half-lidded at his lack of energy, "I'd like to thank them too."

Hinoka kept talking about something but Takumi had long zoned out. Mysteries of his savior and the entire event swirled in his head and he couldn't decipher it. How was he alive? Who had found him and Sakura and how were they able to save him before he got shot? Takumi had thought himself a goner, only his fear and hatred fueling him at that point, but perhaps his prayer had come true.

Somebody had saved him, just like he asked.

* * *

" _Ka-chan_ , I w-was so s-scared!" Sakura whimpered, tears pricking at her eyes as the scenes of the kidnapping replayed before her. She gripped at her mother's shirt and pressed her face into her torso, fear still clinging to her. "Takumi- _nii_ t-tried to save me... b-but I heard a gun shot a-and-!"

"You don't have to be scared anymore, Sakura," Mikoto purred, kneeling to hug her step-daughter. "You and Takumi are safe now. We won't let anything scare you like that ever again, okay?"

The girl nodded, still whimpering. She began to wipe at her tears but Mikoto stopped her. "There is no shame in crying- you need to get it out of you."

Sakura hiccuped through her sobs, eventually evening out her breathing. When she was finally able to speak, her mother took the initiative. Mikoto inquired, "Do you know who saved you and Takumi?"

The girl shook her head, her peach-colored hair swaying with the motion. "I couldn't s-see anything. I heard a gun shot and then somebody was talking t-to our kidnapper."

Mikoto furrowed her eyebrows, pulling her lips into a straight line. With a kind voice, she prodded her daughter to continue. "And then?"

Sakura sniffled, swallowing the lump in her throat. "The one who s-saved us... He was t-taunting the one who kidnapped us... He was s-saying all these mean things and promised to... to _kill_ the one who kidnapped u-us!"

Mikoto took a sharp inhale, considering her words before she formed her thought. "Did... did he sound... like your brother?"

She gasped. "Like Takumi- _nii_...?" Sakura seemed to be asking herself more than her mother. Why would Mikoto think it was Takumi speaking? Her older brother would _never_ say such hateful things, nevertheless _kill_ the one who kidnapped them. How could her mother even _think_ that...?

"It couldn't have been... He s-sounded _nothing_ like _Onii-san_ and I would k-know if it was him." Sakura frowned, looking up to her mother with sadness in her eyes. "Takumi- _nii_ would _never_ say those things!"

The woman nodded in understanding, pulling away from the hug. "I know _he_ wouldn't... but there is somebody _else_ I am worried about."

"Somebody... else?" Sakura voiced her confusion, furrowing her eyebrows. "B-but you just asked about _Onii-san_..."

Mikoto put her hands on her daughter's shoulders, looking her right in the eyes. "Promise me you won't tell your brother about this conversation."

The nine-year-old nodded immediately, scared of the sternness in her mother's voice. "I p-promise..."

With a kiss onto her daughter's forehead and a thank you, Mikoto left the room.

* * *

Feeling overwhelmed by Sumeragi, Ryoma, Hinoka, and Kamui all at his bedside, he asked to be left alone for a while. His head still hurt and he felt lethargic, and having company drained him even more. Distantly, he wondered where his younger sister was and how she was doing; Takumi knew he was worse off from the amount of bandages and cuts on him, but Sakura's well being still plagued his mind.

The door to his room slid open, the sound of wood bringing him back to reality. His mother stood in the frame before she walked in and slid it shut, leaving the two alone in the bedroom.

" _Ka-san_ ," he breathed, the pressure in his head subsiding for a moment. "I'm so happy to see y-"

"Takumi." She stopped him mid-sentence, his happiness falling into shock. "Do you remember what I told you?"

What... she told him? Mikoto didn't seem happy at all. Did she not care about him being alive? Why was she not running up to him and hugging him, crying tears of joy and planting kisses over his forehead? Why didn't she ask him how he was feeling? Why was she...

He gripped at his head, the ache from before becoming a burning sensation lacing throughout his skull. He was gritting his teeth against the pain, eyes squeezed shut. " _K-ka-san_...!"

Her voice devolved into a growl as she yelled, "Leave him alone! _Anankos!"_

Takumi's eyes snapped open, blood red irises filled with amusement. A light chuckle escaped his lips as he pulled himself out from under the covers, finding a comfortable position in sitting over the side of the bed.

" _I expected better from you, Mikoto_ ," he drawled, smirk crawling onto his face, " _To think, it took you this long to find me! You should be ashamed of yourself, really_."

Mikoto narrowed her eyes, hands clenching into fists. "How long have you been with Takumi!" It seemed more like a demand than a question, and her raised voice did nothing to deter the dragon.

He crossed his legs and tilted his head, bemused at his once-wife's change in demeanor. " _It looks like I gave you credit where it wasn't due,_ " he pouted playfully and the humor failed to leave his eyes. " _I've been with him for quite some time now._ "

The woman bit her lip, possibilities flickering through her mind. "This... this isn't your first life with him, is it?"

" _Nowhere near it, my dear,_ " he sneered, balancing his elbows on his leg and leaning forward onto his hands. " _I've grown quite attached to the boy in this life, however_."

Mikoto kept a neutral expression as she watched Anankos use her son's body akin to a puppet. The pose he was lounging in looked odd in his skin and the way the dragon spoke starkly contrasted Takumi's own.

Her heart began to race and fear crept into her veins. "Does he remember the first life?"

She thought back to the book she would read on The War of Fates, on how similar it all seemed the first time she read it. Later on, she found her memories returning to her, but it seemed like she was the only one that remembered being from that time. Of course, her life had ended prematurely during the war so there was a void in her memory. The book could only tell her so much, so she was left with countless unsolved mysteries of her own. Most importantly, she had no idea how Anankos was still alive and why he was currently using her son as a vessel.

The dragon frowned, tearing his gaze from her. " _I've done my best to keep it from him; those memories are too much to bear for a child. The truth will only hurt him, and he has suffered enough._ "

Anankos thought back on the night four years ago, where Takumi had found out he was hiding things from him. His name, his origin, the truth about their connection... There were many things the dragon knew it was best to keep from the boy, and for the most part, these were things Takumi was better off not knowing. As such, he had repressed his partner's memories of "Ryuurei" and proceeded to lay dormant. The past lives should have taught him not to involve himself with his vessel, but he had hoped to one day rekindle the bond he had formed with the soul.

Mikoto wanted to know more but held her tongue. From what she could tell, Anankos had no harmful intentions for her son. Of course, this led to more questions as to whether this was the human Anankos she fell in love with, or if it was the malicious dragon himself.

Finally, she settled on an inquiry. "Were you the one to save him and Sakura?"

Anankos hummed, " _Naturally_." He leaned back and recrossed his legs, displeasure finding its way onto his features. " _That waste of space had a gun to Taki's head. The boy was crying out for help and I couldn't just lay dormant and let him_ die."

She nodded in understanding, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, a calmness overtaking her. It was a relief to know Anankos had the intentions of saving her son. Whether or not this was the human or the dragon, there was the desire to protect Takumi, and she could find no reason to complain.

"I will thank you for that, at least." Mikoto smiled, still finding it odd to see her once-lover in her son's body. It seemed it would have to take some getting used to...

"Just a quick question, though."

Anankos perked up, raising an eyebrow at the woman. What could she want now? He had already answered _more than enough_ of her questions, what else did she have to ask?

" _Yes, my dear?_ "

"Which one are you - the man or the dragon?" Mikoto's voice was barely above a whisper.

He scoffed. " _I am Anankos_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy I was able to end the chapter with that. Snarky Anankos gives me life.
> 
> Basically Takumi's desire to live pulled Anankos from his sleep and the dragon went on instinct to kill the kidnapper. Sakura was blindfolded so she could only hear what Anankos said to the guy, that's why she doesn't realize it's technically Takumi who saved them. Anankos steals the gun, shoots the guy, and then he's able to use Takumi's phone to call the Shirasagi house. Takumi's body is weary and he knows they'll be found so he acts like he was knocked unconscious. Takumi has no memory of this.
> 
> So yeah! Happy I was able to update today. I feel guilty when I end on cliffhangers...


	8. Rekindle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again. Thanks for all of the kudos and comments, it really puts a smile on my face getting to read what people think of this. I had a bit of writer's block and had trouble figuring out the events of this chapter but I was able to put something somewhat coherent together.
> 
> The second half of this chapter gets a bit trippy. It sort of parallels the beginning of the second chapter as well as the end of the first chapter so I guess that's cool too.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

He drew himself inward, his legs close to his chest as he curled into himself. The wood of the tree stump below him dug into his skin and the light snow falling on him sent shivers throughout his entire body. In his bout of anger and the haste he had as he ran away from home, he had failed to take a jacket. He did his best to ignore the cold but his body heat could only warm him so much.

Takumi knew he was acting immature but he couldn't head home after making such a big scene; his pride wouldn't allow it. Staying out in the freezing cold of the forest to prove his point was more bearable than heading home and dealing with the consequences he was sure to face. And if he froze to death out here, that wouldn't be that bad, right?

He shut his eyes, thinking back on the scene he had caused back at his house. It was some petty argument that he could hardly recall now, and it led to him getting fed up and leaving the house in his rage. Deep down, he regretted being as stubborn as he was known to be, but preserving his pride was integral as well. As the cold nipped at his skin, he mused that if he caught pneumonia, maybe then his family would actually pay attention to him.

He truly _was_ a child. He valued his pride and getting attention more than his own life. Then he had his inferiority complex constantly in mind, allowing it to degrade him. He was pitiful; he cared too much about what people thought of him. He incessantly criticized himself and knew he was worthless to his family. The world would be no different if he were to vanish and never be seen again, so what was even the point of living?

He heard the crunching of snow beneath footsteps and was tempted to pick his head up and turn around. However, a lack of energy and his pride kept him on his side, his back to the person. Even as the footsteps approached him, he made no move. Maybe it was another kidnapper, one that would hopefully end his worthless life.

A jacket that was too big for him was placed onto him like a blanket. He tried to look up but he was met with the back of the person now sitting on the other side of the tree stump, long brown hair obscuring his vision.

"It's cold out, brother," Ryoma began, shivering slightly after giving his jacket to Takumi, "you need to take care of yourself."

Takumi's eyes widened, mouth agape. His brother actually cared enough to follow him into the cold after the temper tantrum he threw? He was bewildered, wondering how wise and stern Ryoma, the one barely into adulthood, could possibly care about his pathetic younger brother. Wouldn't the nineteen-year-old prefer to be the only son of the Shirasagi's and desire to erase the name of his brother from history?

He was glad his brother had come, but his ego was getting the best of him. Before he could hold his tongue, he snarked, "I don't need your reprimands, I know how to take care of myself."

He heard Ryoma click his tongue in disapproval, his back still to Takumi. "Clearly you don't," he stated bluntly, "if you thought coming out here in the snow without a jacket was a great idea."

Takumi bit his lip, knowing his brother was right. He hugged himself tighter under the coat, doing his best to limit his shivering. He felt the urge to cry but restrained himself. He wanted to jump into Ryoma's arms and get carried home, he wanted to climb into his bed under the covers and listen to his brother tell stories of college life - but his pride forced him to remain curled up on the tree stump in the winter night.

Begrudgingly, he muttered, "I know."

Ryoma had a feeling he was not going to get another answer for a while. He settled into the silence, leaning his elbows onto his legs and allowing his arms to hang. With a sigh, he shut his eyes in thought. Reopening them, he stared into the dark expanse before the two, observing how the trees stood like sentinels and how rhythmic the snow fell.

"I know you will think I'm lying just to console you, but the truth is: our family cares for you and has your best interest in mind, Takumi." Ryoma looked towards the sky, snow falling onto his face and into his hair. "Believe me when I say I think about you and the rest of our family more times than I can count while I'm at school."

In both personality and demeanor, he was the split image of their father, and this seemed to make Takumi feel worse. Ryoma took after Sumeragi while the younger son was left in the shadows, endless chasing the back of his brother. Ryoma was the perfect son, so what did that make Takumi?

He let the words sink in, the silence between them comfortable. Takumi pulled the jacket around himself tighter and realized just how selfish he was; here he was, refusing to go home while he used his brother's jacket for warmth. Ryoma was probably freezing but sacrificed his warmth for his childish little brother.

He pushed himself up, arms shaking from the cold, and tried to get to his feet. His legs buckled beneath him and he fell into the snow, letting out a yelp as the cold began stinging at his exposed skin. Ryoma jumped into action, pulling his brother from the snow and hoisting Takumi onto his back piggyback-style. Ryoma grabbed at his brother's legs around his torso as Takumi locked his arms around his brother's neck, still shivering.

"Come on," Ryoma said with a smile, betraying his shivering body, "let's go home."

* * *

After a mix of getting scolded at and him providing apologies, Takumi couldn't suppress the urge to be alone. He found himself climbing down the stairs into his basement, the dim lighting giving off an eerie atmosphere. When he got to an old broom closet, he locked himself in and shut himself off from the rest of the world.

"Nobody understands me," he whimpered to himself, his lip trembling. He pulled his legs to his chest and pressed his face into his knees, his hair a mess around his head and falling over his shoulders. "Nobody would care if I was gone."

_I would care._

Takumi's head whipped up instantly, glancing around him. The closet was enshrouded in darkness but he was _sure_ there was not another person in here with him. But where had the voice come from then?

"Who are you!" He shouted, backing himself into the wall of the closet. Sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He was terrified of the dark and hearing a disembodied voice did nothing to ease that feeling.

 _I once told you I was your protector, but you took to calling me your friend-_ the voice stopped, perhaps in thought. _Consider me both._

Takumi gulped, swallowing past the lump in his throat. This voice had talked to him before? He had _known_ this voice before? The idea sent goosebumps running across his skin and adrenaline through his veins. Was he in danger? Or was this truly a "friend" of his?

_As I thought, you don't remember me. Maybe that's a good thing..._

Takumi could hardly refrain any longer, finding himself barking at the voice. "What do you mean by that? I'm pretty sure I would remember something like you."

There was a beat of quiet before the voice answered him - with another question nonetheless. _Would you like to remember, then?_

Takumi raised an eyebrow, his lips already forming a question. "Would I like to remember...?"

 _Our past together._ It cut in, tone perfectly even. _I will not force you to remember, but if you choose to, you will have to bear those memories._

It was tempting, his own curiosity pulling him to agree, but he had to think about this rationally. He had no idea who or _what_ this thing was, or if it was telling the truth or not. Listening to somebody he couldn't even see seemed foolish to him, but he couldn't hold himself back. Besides, what did he have to lose?

"I want to remember," he called out, determination written on his features. Maybe these memories would explain why he felt so _empty_ these past few years. Maybe they would give him a new purpose. He would just have to trust in this voice and take the chance to-

_Very well, my dear Taki._

He was falling.

He felt as though something was pressing itself into him, like it was invading his mind and clawing at him from the inside. Down to his core, everything ached. It felt like something was tearing him apart on the inside; his heart burned and something inside him _changed_.

There was something in his hands - a bow, he recognized - and in a blink, it was replaced by a different weapon. The beautiful green incandescence turned into violet flames, and the bow felt foreign in his grasp.

He landed and slowly picked himself off of the ground, body feeling cold and - was his heart not beating?

Fear overtook him but his body continued to move. He had to kill her. He had to _kill her_...

"Betrayal..." He moaned, his voice raspy and animalistic. "Betrayal..."

He continued on like a puppet being dragged by its strings, the weight of the bow heavy in his hands but his non-beating heart heavier. He was dead. He was dead. But he needed to kill her.

He was in a giant room filled with people. Close to the throne, he saw her. Raising his bow, he drew back the string, his body trembling under its own weight.

She had betrayed him. She had taken _everything_ from him. She needed to die. She needed to pay for what she had done. He needed to _kill her_.

In a blink, the scene had completely changed and he was on the ground, a sword to his throat. It was painstakingly difficult to breathe and he felt death clawing at him, pulling him under. He was about to die and he still hadn't killed her yet...!

"Takumi." She said, the name tender on her lips. "You don't have to suffer anymore."

No. This couldn't be it. No, no, no, no, no! He couldn't die here. He _couldn't die here_. He had to kill her. She had betrayed him. She had hurt him and his family. She had to die. She had to-

"I hope we meet in a better life, brother."

It was dark.

And a second later, colors blurred past him and voices surrounded him. Lifetimes ran by him in a flash and he was left disoriented by the countless words and feelings that flitted over him in mere seconds. There was happiness and heartbreak and joy and sorrow, there were faces he couldn't remember, and yet, they felt so familiar.

Then, his current life began to replay before him. At first, he found it odd; it wasn't from his perspective - but from somebody else's. He heard his own voice and saw his own actions, but a different person would answer him. This voice sounded so familiar... why wouldn't he remember this person? They had been with him for all of these years, hadn't they? So why couldn't he remember them?

He watched as the day he and Sakura were kidnapped replayed before his eyes. At the time where he had lost consciousness, he watched as his body continued to move. A voice that wasn't his but was at the same time spoke and proceeded to kill the man.

He had saved... Himself?

Before he could question it further, the scenes continued on and he noticed the voice become less prominent in the memories. Had the voice vanished for all of these years? What had happened to cause it to leave, especially after they were together for so many lives?

He saw the scene between whatever possessed his body and his mother - wait, his mother?

Mikoto spoke but he couldn't hear anything. The _thing_ spoke and toyed with her but he could hear nothing. Watching the scene play out but without sound was unnerving, and Takumi had the feeling that he wouldn't be able to watch a silent film without having the urge to vomit.

The visions continued to swirl around his vision, the last one being him getting carried home in the snow by Ryoma. When he finally found himself back in reality, he panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. Sweat snaked down his face and his body was trembling, still shaken by the overwhelming memories he had experienced.

"W-who..." He choked out, tears trailing down his cheeks, "are you...?"

It felt like somebody was hugging him. In the dark, there may as well have been somebody, but it still felt surreal. He had to have been hallucinating, there was no way any of this had actually happened. This all had to have been some bad nightmare, maybe he was insane and hearing voices and seeing things that weren't there and-

 _I am Ryuurei,_ It said, _your friend._

And Takumi couldn't tell if it was happiness or dread that filled his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Anankos we see is a mix of the soul that was ripped off (and eventually became the human, the one that falls in love with Mikoto and fathers Kamui) and the mad dragon. Sometimes he is kind, sometimes he purposefully manipulates Takumi. And sometimes, there isn't a clear divide between the two and we get the gray-zone Anankos of this chapter.
> 
> I hope the second half wasn't too confusing. It's similar to a dream, where things make sense and don't. There's a linear plot and then it suddenly jumps and the sequence goes on. Takumi doesn't understand it all but he can get the idea that this isn't the first life he has spent with Anankos. What their bond is, he still doesn't know, but it isn't that hard to figure out that there have been many lives spent together. He still refuses to disclose his real name to Takumi, but there IS somebody that knows his name quite well...
> 
> Until next time.


	9. Decadence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I'd say sorry for the inactivity but there's fics I haven't updated in years so...
> 
> Anyways. I think this is the longest chapter yet? (Long for me, at least.) I had bouts of writer's block when I had time to write it and then had no ideas when I actually DID have the time to write. Luckily I was finally able to make time and type this up, so I hope you all enjoy this chapter. We get some actual plot so this fic is finally going somewhere.

He tugged at his shirt, eyeing himself wearily in the mirror. "This looks great and all, Oboro, but it deserves someone better than me to wear it..."

"Don't say that, Takumi," she scolded, disappointment evident in her voice. "I made it especially for _you_. Don't put yourself down like that- you look great!"

He smiled warily at his reflection, pulling at his tie. Seeing his tentativeness, Oboro strode over to readjust his collar and tighten his tie, standing on her tip-toes and sticking her tongue out in concentration. She ran her hands over the wrinkles in his button down and backed away, leaving him alone in the reflection.

"I personally think you look stunning," she admitted, laughing as a blush began to cover his cheeks. "Just learn how to take a compliment, okay?"

Takumi nodded fervently, willing the color in his face to fade. It was embarrassing to blush, especially when he was being complimented by Oboro. Of course, she had coordinated what he was wearing, but she seemed to genuinely think he looked flattering in a simple button down and tie. He glanced at his reflection for the umpteenth time before finally walking away.

"Is my hair okay?" He asked with mild concern, a bit tired over obsessing over his appearance. All of this worrying over how he would look for a party...

Oboro trekked over to him, replacing a pin or two and tightening his ponytail. "It is now," she chirped, pleased with her own handiwork. She wished she had made the time to make Takumi an outfit for today, but homework and helping in her parents' shop seemed to prohibit that. There was always next year, or some other occasion.

"Now go get 'em, birthday boy!"

She pushed him lightly towards the doors to the party hall, her touch giving him the courage to push the doors open and make his entrance. In the hall there was a mix of his own friends and his family's friends, and the room was nigh full. Nervously, he shuffled towards his family, but he began to regret his decision as his father met him halfway.

Sumeragi patted him on the back reassuringly with a smile before making an announcement to the entire hall. "Thank you all for coming. As you know, we're gathered here to celebrate my son Takumi's birthday-"

He was interrupted by applause and some cheering, which Takumi lowered his head to hide the color flushing in his face. He appreciated the sentiment but his father was embarrassing him in front of everybody...!

Sumeragi coughed into his hand to silence the partygoers before continuing. "As I was saying," he laughed, looking down at his son with proud eyes, "please enjoy yourselves and be kind to my son here."

After the applause that followed, Takumi was overwhelmed by many of the guests. Countless well wishes and greetings left him feeling dizzy, and the numerous conversations he had swirled in his thoughts. He wasn't used to having so much attention on himself (sure, he _craved_ the attention, but now he was having second thoughts) and he just felt completely overwhelmed by everything. The many guests and the hall itself was leaving him with a trace of claustrophobia.

He needed some fresh air, or to at least get some personal space. Doing his best to stay under the radar, he slipped past guests and avoided his family on his way to the door. If someone were to ask him where he was going, he surmised a flimsy excuse like going to the restroom would work, but he was lucky enough to get out of the room scot-free.

After slipping through the door, he shut it behind him before trekking through the hall. Music from the party was muffled by the walls but the low thud of bass hummed in sync with his footsteps. Takumi exhaled, happy to be alone with his thoughts and free from the pressure of the party; it was stressful to be the center attention.

 _You know, for how often you actively seek attention,_ Anankos began, snide present in his tone, _it's quite ironic that you are avoiding it now._

He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes, frowning. "Don't remind me."

The dragon's voice shifted drastically into concern, a bit too sudden for the boy's liking. _Then what is it that you're upset about?_

Takumi turned the corner, amber orbs shifting to the windows on the other side of the hall. Glancing at his reflection, he tugged at his tie before continuing his pacing. "I don't know. I just... I feel really overwhelmed by everything."

The Silent Dragon hummed in acknowledgement, prodding the boy's thoughts for anything else. When no other musings were discovered, Anankos settled back into the recesses of Takumi's mind and composed an inquiry. _You usually don't get this much attention. Why did you parents decide to throw such an extravagant party this time around?_

"I guess they're just happy I survived that kidnapping. Or maybe they're trying to prove they care about me," he tilted his head, finger on his chin. Why his parents had decided to throw this grand of a party for a birthday that wasn't even a milestone one, he couldn't figure it out. Twelve wasn't important the last time he checked.

Anankos decided to ignore the mention of the kidnapping. _You always speak of not being good enough and think you aren't worthy of being a Shirasagi. Perhaps your family finally picked up on that?_

He crossed his arms, still pacing around in the same circle. "But I'm not good enough or worthy in the least bit!" He huffed, narrowing this eyes. "They're probably just doing this to trick me into believing they care."

Anankos sighed. His partner's temperament was inconsistent and seemed to switch by the hour; just thinking about the changes in demeanor made him frustrated. Nevertheless, he bit back whatever biting remark he had on his tongue and settled on passive-aggressiveness.

_Maybe if you stopped proclaiming how pitiful you supposedly are, connotations of your inferiority wouldn't exist and your family would have nothing to pick up on._

Takumi stopped in his tracks, contemplating what the voice had said. Ryuurei thought he was making up his feelings of inferiority? Frustration panged in his chest and he felt like clawing at his head, at the voice for declaring such an idea.

"Do you think I'm fabricating these emotions?" He asked, the displeasure evident in his words. "Why do you think I would willingly live my life incessantly feeling inferior to my siblings?"

Before Anankos could formulate a response, Takumi continued his tirade. "I've spent my entire life chasing the backs of my siblings. I've tried to discover things I was good at so I had _something_ to show for myself. I've spent my entire life in my siblings' shadows. If I could banish those feelings of inferiority, I would have done it _years_ ago!"

His shouting ended in an abrupt end and a interminable silence in its wake. Takumi's rage continued to boil his blood and Anankos could find no words to salvage the conversation. The dragon knew that his partner genuinely felt not good enough and unworthy of the Shirasagi name. Even if it was far from true, it was how the boy viewed himself and that introspection would not falter.

Anger simmering, Takumi pressed his back against the wall and slid down to the tiled ground, the muffled treble of some pop tune reaching his ears. He did his best to ignore it but it served as a reminder that he had ditched his own birthday party that his parents went out of their way to host for him. With his anger gone, he was left with a empty feeling and guilt in himself for neglecting his family after what they did for him.

In a mix of hopelessness and lethargy, Takumi pulled his knees to his chest and lay his head on them. "Ryuurei?"

Anankos, who had been allowing his own thoughts to consume him, immediately perked up. _Yes, Taki?_

The boy chewed on the inside of his cheek - a nervous habit of his - and stared into the expanse ahead of him, meeting tiled floors, dim moonlight shining in from the other side of the hall, and some potted plants towards the ends of his vision. He let out a breath he did not recall holding and squinted in thought.

"Those visions I saw the other night," he said tentatively, his words careful and picked meticulously, "what were they?"

The dragon debated on giving another half-truth but decided against it. If Takumi already knew those sights to be memories, there would be no harm in reiterating it. After all, there was no promise that he would have to elaborate on what the boy had seen.

With an edge to his words, Anankos deadpanned, _I told you they were memories, did I not?_

Takumi barely budged from his position, simply closing his eyes in response. However, he frowned, clearly not content with the answer. He hated getting answers that were ambiguous and, overall, told him nothing. Those visions were memories? Memories from _when_? It seemed these conversations with Ryuurei simply led to more questions than answers.

"Yeah," he compromised, reopening his eyes and wishing he could have born into a different life and as a better person, one with happier memories and no worries of feeling inferior or dealing with a voice in his head. "You did."

Part of Anankos felt the urge to comfort the boy, to repress those negative feelings away and console him - but another part desired to continue pushing the boy further into despair. Before a middle ground could be explored, there was a nigh inaudible patter from around the corner that grabbed the dragon's attention.

Takumi brought his gaze up to meet Leo, who held on unreadable expression. There were traces of surprise as well as concern but even Anankos could not be sure; the soul that was once a prince of Nohr did well with concealing his emotions.

"There you are," the blond called, and there was genuine mirth in his garnet eyes. "Everyone's been looking for you, y'know."

Finding some energy, Takumi pushed himself to his feet and offered a weak smile. "I'm sorry to worry everyone. I was a bit... _overwhelmed_ and just needed some time to myself."

Leo looked as is he had something to say but he bit back whatever remark he had on his lips. Instead, after a moment of recalibrating, he formulated a response. "Well, I hope you're doing better now because your family is worried _sick_ about you." He placed one hand on his hip and gestured with the other. "You'd better go show your face."

Takumi did his best to ignore whatever the voice in his head began prodding him about and nodded in response to the blond. "Y-yeah," he affirmed with a shaky nod, "I'll head back now."

When he began to walk and noticed Leo not take any action, he raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Leo? Are you coming back with me?"

"No," he stated bluntly, his eyes directed anywhere besides the birthday boy, "I was actually on my way to the restroom..."

"O-oh, of course," Takumi offered sheepishly before stumbling in the direction of the party hall. "I guess I'll be heading back then. See you soon?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." He confirmed with a smile. "But you'd better hurry back before your family thinks you've been kidnapped again."

"Don't remind me," he scolded, rubbing his temples as he turned his back on Leo. He headed back to the party, leaving the blonde by his lonesome in the moonlight-lit hallway.

Leo let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. There was an abundance of questions swirling in his thoughts that he wanted to ask his friend about but he had no idea where to begin. Instead, he trekked to the restrooms to hopefully clear his thoughts.

Pressing the door open, he strode into the restroom and stopped at the sinks and found interest in his reflection. The dark bags under his eyes were more obvious than ever and he seemed to be more pale than usual. Terrible night terrors had been plaguing him for the past few days and their effects were more evident than he wished them to be.

Turning on the sink, he splashed water onto his face and caught his garnet eyes once again. The conversation he overheard earlier was resurfacing in his thoughts and he could do nothing to forget about it.

When he had noticed Takumi leave the party hall, Leo followed suit. He had originally just wanted to see what was going on with his friend, but when the boy began talking to seemingly no one, Leo fell into step behind him and was able to eavesdrop. From what Leo could deduct, Takumi had obviously been talking to himself or some made up persona. And what had he called that other person? Ryuurei?

He lowered his gaze to the shiny marble of the counter, possibilities coming to the forefront of his mind. He had heard that name somewhere before - in a book. If he recalled correctly, it was from a history book on the ancient nation of Valla. And who was it? A king or someone of the like? Leo's memories of it were hazy and he left a mental note to reread the book sometime soon.

But the question at hand: why was Takumi talking to himself? Or, if it was an imaginary friend of sorts, what is the meaning of that "friend" being named after a king of an ancient civilization? It was impossible that Takumi was talking to the spirit of that king - that was simply absurd. Was it simply a coincidence then? Perhaps Takumi had read up on the history of Valla and had an affinity for the name when he named his imaginary friend.

It seemed like an easy conclusion to draw but Leo thought back on bits of the conversation he heard. From the one side he could hear, Takumi spoke of how he felt about himself and his place in his family. Then he went on to talk about... visions he had? And the way he had asked "Ryuurei" about them, the voice had seemed to know about them.

Leo slouched, leaning against the counter. None of this made any sense. If this was simply an imaginary friend, there wouldn't be - or at least _shouldn't be_ \- any mention of visions. Imaginary friends served the purpose of keeping a person company if they had no friends and that was all. There was something more to this - there had to be.

He ran his hand through his hair, sighing. This was all too confusing. The only other possibility he could consider was there being some other being conversing with Takumi but that was absurd. There was no such thing as magic and spirits and possession - Leo knew that for a fact and would not be moved. Even considering supernatural options was irrational and brought out the cynic in him.

He pushed off the counter and got to his feet, taking one last glance at his weary reflection before leaving the restroom. It had obviously been an alibi; he had the complete intention to follow Takumi and find out where he was excusing himself to. Hearing a one-sided conversation added to the mystery, but Leo resolved to doing research after the party. He would get to the bottom of this, no matter how trivial it seemed.

Before he could push the doors open, he heard hushed voices from the other side and withdrew his hand. It sounded like... Mikoto and Sumeragi? Distantly, Leo hoped Takumi had actually made it back to the party. If his friend had actually gotten kidnapped again, he would never forgive himself. He doubted the possibility, but it was just that- a possibility.

"You're able to tell, right?" Mikoto whispered, her tone urgent. Leo strained his ears to listen but did not budge; he feared making a sound and ending the conversation prematurely. He was pleased when Takumi's parents continued on.

"Tell what?" Sumeragi had concern in his voice and Leo raised his eyebrows, mouth almost forming the thoughts surfacing in his mind. Were they talking about Takumi?

The woman clicked her tongue, the sound so faint Leo barely heard it. "You know how he gets - and you can see it in his eyes, too."

"Mikoto dear, please," Sumeragi pleaded gently, "slow down... I don't even understand what you are trying to tell me-!"

"It's Takumi!" She whisper-shouted and Leo winced silently. So it wasn't just him who had found out that that something was up with Takumi. It made him wonder what had happened while he was in the restroom; had Takumi done something odd?

Sumeragi seemed to be attempting to calm his wife down. "I know he lashed out against Ryoma but I don't believe it was truly his fault. He must have just been overwhelmed with everything happening..."

Leo danced a step back, the conversation fading out of his hearing. Takumi had lashed out on Ryoma? He had the sudden recollection of what he had heard Takumi saying in the hallway while he had been eavesdropping, something about being envious of his brother. It was no secret Takumi had a mix of pride and jealousy of his siblings, but that he just randomly lashed out against his brother?

Leo recalled Takumi being lethargic and looking like he was ready to fall at any given moment. He looked to be so out of energy that even having the willpower to fight with Ryoma seemed unbelievable. On top of that, it just seemed too out-of-character for Takumi. He may have been jealous of his brother and constantly in his shadow, but he would _never_ raise a hand to Ryoma - Leo knew that fact well. It was similar to how he himself would never lash out against Xander but felt that similar sense of pride and envy. It was just something he learned to adapt to and accept.

"Dear," Mikoto said in a hushed voice, bringing Leo back from his thoughts, "I know you don't remember but this is not the first time this has happened. It is a bit different this time around but Takumi is, without a doubt, being affected by the same thing."

Sumeragi let a small gasp escape his lips. "It couldn't be..."

"Yes," Mikoto affirmed, melancholy falling over her, "it seems Anankos has Takumi again."

Anankos? Leo took slow steps backwards until his back hit the wall. No. It couldn't be. He slid to the floor, a feeling of helplessness coming over him.

He had seen that name in countless books and had the faintest memories of bedtime stories about the ancient fables of the Dusk Dragon. That dragon had died. It had been killed hundreds of years ago in the War of Fates. There was no way it was alive now - and speaking to Takumi, no less.

Whatever determination Leo had while walking back to the party vanished and his heart sunk. His best friend... was in the clutches of a dragon of yore? One that was supposed to be dead - slaughtered hundreds of years ago? It didn't make sense - _none of it_ made sense.

"Leo?"

His eyes refocused, finding Takumi's parents hovering over him. He hadn't even noticed them push open the doors and walk into the hallway to find him there, looking crestfallen and hopeless.

"I-I didn't mean to listen in on your conversation," he began, uncertainty undermining his words, "but I think you're right..."

Sumeragi helped him up with a firm arm, getting the boy to his feet; Leo still found himself having to look up to make eye contact. The man nodded slightly as he registered the blond's words, turning to his wife and awaiting her response.

"Do you remember, Leo?"

Her tone was kind but held an edge to them, striking a slight hint of fear into the twelve-year-old. The question confused him at first but the gears in his head began to turn. He remembered Mikoto speaking of these events as "this time around" or things happening again... Was there some other time that existed before this one?

"Do I remember...?" He began tentatively, his question trailing off before he could form the rest of it.

"The first life," she prodded, stating it bluntly like he was supposed to know what she was talking about.

"The first life?" He inquired, hating the feeling of being in the unknown and unknowledgeable in a matter that seemed so important. For such blasphemous topics, he found it humorous that he was the one in the dark over all of this. "Surely this is all some myth and you're joking. There is no way any of this could _possibly_ -"

"Prince Leo of Nohr," Mikoto interrupted, expression completely serious with not a single trace of lying, " _you_ were the one that slayed Anankos."

Leo promptly fainted in shock.


	10. Brink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. Had a lot of homework and didn't have too much motivation after getting through all of it. This weekend and next week will be hectic so I don't know when the next chapter will be.

The room was dim, the light from the hallway creeping in through the ajar door. There was also a mason jar filled with fireflies set upon a desk as a nightlight of sorts and Leo nearly laughed at how stupid it all seemed. It was nearing midnight and the desire of sleep tugged at him; his eyes felt heavy and his moves were sluggish. Takumi was already asleep to his side, buried in a bundle of blankets as if he were scared of the dark. Of course, the light from the hallway and the nightlight were dead giveaways that the boy actually _was_ afraid of the dark.

Leo turned over, facing away from Takumi. The object in his pocket weighed down on him and he reconsidered what he was expected to do.

After the events of Takumi's birthday party, Mikoto informed Leo of all she remembered of what she had called "the first life". From what he could grasp, he was the reincarnation of a prince and was the one to slay the dragon of that time. It all seemed blasphemous and laughable, but the longer Mikoto talked without falter, he had to come to the realization that this was no practical joke.

And as he turned through book after book, the evidence was irrefutable. Names and appearances were never recorded for the royalty at that time, but the rest of the details of the War of Fates were written. Since the party, he had probably binged more than ten books just on that one war and the time period. And the more he read, the more he began to believe in the possibility of him truly being a reincarnation of the second prince of Nohr.

However, there was still reasonable doubt in his mind. It never occurred to him that Mikoto could easily just be delusional and believe the reincarnation story wholeheartedly, leading to him reading up on the war and convincing himself he was truly of that time. Was there truly something amiss? Or was Mikoto making him a self-fulfilling prophecy over some made-up fantasy?

He shook his head. No- he would have to believe Mikoto on this. As much as the cynic in him wanted to reject how foolish this preposition of reincarnation and dragons was, there was this sense of childish wonder that begged him to fall down the rabbit hole. He would have to throw aside his doubt and actually have faith in another person for once.

Reaching into his pocket and sliding his finger over the chilling metal, he began rethinking his choice. He had promised Mikoto he would draw Anankos out, and from what she told him of the truth of the kidnapping a few months ago, it was Anankos that had saved Takumi and Sakura. That meant that Anankos cared enough to save his vessel, leading to the conclusion that Leo drew for the plan.

He retrieved the pocket knife, the steel glinting even in the faint luminescence of the bedroom. He frowned, gaze flicking between his friend and the weapon. He flicked it open, the edge cutting through the air through some spring system. Deep down, he hoped for Anankos to actually be sharing a body with Takumi so that this was not for naught.

Taking a deep breath, he inched closer to the bundle of blankets and began slide them off the silver-haired boy, revealing the uncovered skin of his arms. Biting his lip, Leo contemplated over backing out for the sixth time but steeled himself, knowing he promised Mikoto he could do the simple task of provoking the dragon.

"Takumi, please forgive me," he muttered under his breath, bringing the knife to the boy's arm. He began making a light incision and nearly pulled away as Takumi visibly winced in his sleep. Guilt and regret washed over the blond but he swallowed past the lump in his throat, continuing the cut.

And in a split second, he was on his back, pinned to the ground with Takumi's hands wringed around his neck.

" _Prince Leo of Nohr...!_ " Takumi growled, red eyes burning with anger. Leo clawed at the hands, attempting to pry them off his throat. He kicked at Takumi's chest as he struggled for air, choking and gasping as nails began to dig into his neck. His sight was blurring and his peripheral vision was darkening. Nevertheless, Takumi continued to strangle him and showed no signs of relenting any time soon.

Everything Mikoto had said was true. Of course, Leo probably would have been happier at the revelation if he wasn't being suffocated. His mind raced at a mile a minute for some solution, for some way to save his life, but all he could do was rely on the adrenaline in his veins and his desire to survive. With whatever strength he had, he incessantly kicked at the boy hovering over him, even if it would deplete the air in his lungs quicker.

" _I'll kill you!_ "

Leo squeezed his eyes shut, praying to whatever god would listen, and continued to gasp like he was a fish out of water. This couldn't be how he died; not at such a young age by the hands of his best friend.

_I can't die here. This can't be the end - it can't..!_

He could breathe again.

He sputtered, inhaling and reopening his eyes almost like he was just revived. His vision was still blurry at the edges but he pushed himself backwards, away from Takumi until his back hit the sleek wood of a nightstand. Glancing up at Takumi, he almost looked crazed, his hair flaring out wildly around his shoulders and his eyes a deathly red.

Leo panted, body still shaking as he heaved for breath. He coughed before he was able to speak. "Y-you're Anankos, aren't you?"

Takumi failed to move but his gaze stayed on Leo, as if he were an animal watching its prey. It made the blond feel uneasy but he had the willpower to not cower under the glare. The silence confirmed his suspicion, and Leo found the lack of an answer unnerving. From what Mikoto had told him, he expected snarky remarks and to be toyed with. However, it seemed the tense air that sat between them was more unbearable and Leo couldn't settle the tremors in his bones. Just the presence of the dragon sent goosebumps down his skin.

Recalling the fact that he was currently _alive_ and not being strangled, Leo furrowed his eyebrows in thought, the confusion he felt probably evident on his features. "Why..." he began, keeping a close eye on the unmoving Takumi, "why didn't you kill me?"

Red eyes shifted to the side and the blond found himself intrigued. He expected to be dead at this point, especially with how he was being strangled barely a minute prior. Seeing the uncertainty in Takumi was odd, and Leo almost regretted his deal with Mikoto. A part of Leo didn't expect an answer from the dragon, especially with the pregnant silence that fell between them, but the answer he received became all the more surprising.

" _I can't_."

It was stated bluntly and Leo felt more confused than he did before. Anankos was... unable to kill him? Leo found himself whispering a quiet "what...?" to himself, something he was certain the dragon picked up on, but he couldn't contain his confusion. Nothing was making sense and he almost regretted allowing himself to join in with Mikoto over this bizarre witch hunt.

Takumi clenched his fists and scoffed, perhaps in spite of himself. " _There are still remnants of Brynhildr's magic in your soul, protecting you_ " - a growl - " _I am unable to kill you_."

Feeling slightly at ease, Leo steadied his breathing and ran through all of the possibilities of the situation. There was no chance of him dying to the dragon, but now that he knew of Anankos' presence, Leo was sure the dragon would be keeping a close eye on him. It would limit his options and he would have to reconsider his approach for the future. From now on, he would have to be careful around Takumi.

 _Takumi_. Leo chewed at his lip, narrowing his eyes. Did he know what Anankos truly was? Leo doubted it, recalling the one-sided conversation he overheard from the birthday party. And then there was the question of why Takumi was calling Anankos that other name. What was it again...?

"I don't care about me," Leo announced with bravery he did not know he possessed. "I just want to know what you're doing with Takumi."

Takumi narrowed his eyes, moving closer to the blond. He growled lowly, teeth seeming more like fangs as he spoke. " _I see no point in telling a human such as you_ ," he scoffed, disgust written clearly on his features. " _Humans have only given me trouble - what makes you any different?_ "

Many answers ran through Leo's thoughts but the tenseness in the air seemed to choke him. He never worked well under pressure and the unwavering glare of red eyes did not help at all. He steeled himself, mustering up whatever courage he had left, and fought past the fear in his heart.

"Takumi is a human," Leo reasoned, stating it plainly in hopes of rationalizing his argument, "and you care about him. You clearly don't hold hatred for _all_ humans. What makes me any different?"

By the time the words left his mouth, Leo regretted his question. Anankos may have not hated all humans, but the dragon had more of enough of a reason to have contempt for him. According to Mikoto, Leo had been the one to slay Anankos in the first life. Based on the dragon's threat of killing him, Leo was sure Anankos remembered the event. He did not even have the time to rebut before his inquiry was thrown back at him in an accusation.

" _Don't even_ think _about comparing yourself to Taki,_ " Takumi growled, hands already at Leo's neck as he glared daggers at the blond. A weak whimper left Byrnhildr's past wielder, the breath being stolen from his lungs for the second time that night. " _You_ killed _me. You are_ nothing _like Taki; You're just like the rest of your pitiful race!_ "

Leo choked, attempting to pry Takumi's hands off his neck. Even if it wouldn't kill him, the strangling was a feeling of deja vu he would happily pass on. He was able to knee Takumi in the stomach to get the boy off of him, giving him the time to regain his breath.

"Stop doing that, _gods!"_ He scolded, his annoyance evident. "I'm not trying to hurt Takumi and you don't even have the ability to kill me!"

In what seemed like a complete switch of temperament, Takumi shrunk back, almost like a wounded animal. Leo inched away in habit, his back still stationary against the desk. Even if Anankos was unable to kill him, maybe he would just keep attempting to hurt him to put him out of commission and-

When Takumi looked up, he was teary-eyed and clutching at his stomach. "L-Leo...?"

In his shock, Leo couldn't move. Takumi was back to normal- that was for sure- but the after effects of Anankos using his body were obvious. It made the blond feel guilty for kicking the boy off of him, but his fight-or-flight instincts were what drove his behavior.

Takumi ran his finger over the cut on his arm with a yelp, wincing at the touch. "What happened?"

With expectant amber eyes on him, Leo could not find his voice. He did not know how much Takumi knew about Anankos, but it seemed better to leave the subject of the matter alone- for now, at least. He would have to talk with Mikoto again and figure something out; at least he didn't have to worry about Anankos doing anything to Takumi.

"I guess I kicked you in the stomach in my sleep," he lied with ease after composing himself from his initial shock, "and you must have cut your arm on the bed frame or something."

Takumi rubbed his arm, not completely convinced but knowing he would get no further in his interrogation. "I'll take your word for it then..."

With a hum in response, Leo made his way back to the center of the bedroom and took up the disheveled blanket to his shoulders. He lay down, body slightly uncomfortable on the floor, and turned his back to the other boy.

"Good night," he said, his run in with Anankos replaying in his mind. He had the grim realization that there was no going back to normal after this, but he didn't mind helping Mikoto, especially if it was to help Takumi. Hopefully by morning he would be able to speak to Mikoto, but he had a feeling the dragon would be keeping a close eye on him from now on.

Takumi sighed, exhaustion washing over him. He decided to ignore whatever Ryuurei was whispering to him about and shut his eyes, waiting for sleep to claim him. He had a feeling something was amiss, but his lethargy was more powerful than his willpower. He knew Leo wasn't telling him the complete truth but he rationalized that there had to be a reason for being lied to. He would just have to trust in his friend's judgement.

"Good night."


	11. Identidem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you all for the kudos/comments. I had a bit of trouble thinking about where I was going with this fic but I think I have a plan in mind. This chapter isn't necessarily filler as it sets up the next events, but I guess it can be seen as fluff. This doesn't take place immediately after the last chapter, but maybe a few days or a week afterwards.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

_He was running. Where he was going escaped him, but he knew he was running - somewhere_ important. _The wind whipped against his face, his eyes watering against the harshness of the air, but he blinked it away. He kept running and panting and running and_ running.

_He tightened his grip on - what was he holding? - his bow. His bow, yes. It was heavy, he knew that, but it felt light in his grasp. It burned with a bright incandescence and he had to keep his focus up to power the bowstring and arrow._

_Taking a quick glance around the intersection of the trees, he decided on a direction to go and bolted. He had to keep running, he had to get there before it was too late and-_

_Where was he even going?_

_His feet continued to work even if his brain was failing him. Something was telling him to run - to keep running - and find his family. Something important was going to happen and he had to_ be there _so he kept running._

_Finally reaching a clearing, he was met by a vast expanse of land. There were pegasi and kinshi and wyverns in the air, constantly going at one another. There were archers and mages at the edges of his vision, and the forefront were the infantry soldiers fighting and dropping like flies. He had the urge to vomit, watching the fliers plummet and hearing the sickening sounds of flesh and broken bones. Nevertheless, he pushed himself forward._

_He dashed, bow in tow and arrow ready, and he ran across the battlefield. He shot at stray wyvern and did his best to take out as many opposing soldiers as he could. He had long gotten over the feeling of killing; it was necessary if he were to be a warrior and serve his country. He swallowed down the bile in his throat and finally met with his family._

_"Takumi," Hinoka greeted, but there was something off about her tone. Usually it held determination and passion, but now she almost seemed drained. He couldn't find his voice so he settled on a nod of acknowledgement, hoping it would suffice._

_Trying to piece together why his siblings seemed so solemn, he shifted his gaze to where they were all looking and saw a girl with hair as white as snow and-_

_"I know what I must do."_

_Takumi remembered why he was coming here._

_"Ryoma, withdraw your troops!"_

_No. No no no no no! This couldn't be. Kamui didn't want them. She was choosing those_ scum _over her true family. That traitor! He knew it all along. The Nohrians poisoned her mind and now she would never come home to Hoshido._

 _Maybe if he was stronger, he could kill those scum and save Kamui. He could bring her home and make his siblings happy. He could avenge his father after all these years. He could bring Kamui home, just like his mother always wanted. If only he wasn't worthless, he could_ do something _..._

_He was broken out of his thoughts by the sounds of blades crashing. Ryoma and the crown prince of Nohr were fighting and Kamui seemed to be begging them to stop. Why should they listen to her after what she had done?_

_Takumi readied the Fujin Yumi, eyes narrowed as he stared down Kamui and those Nohrian bastards. He would kill them. For taking away Kamui, for killing both of his parents. He would avenge his parents and wipe Kamui's name from history - she was a blemish on Hoshido's name and was to be renounced. She had betrayed them and he swore to remove the Hoshidan blood in her veins._

_Somewhere, deep down, he had wanted her to come home to Hoshido. He wanted to love her, to have his long lost sister come back to him. Ryoma would stop blaming himself, Hinoka would stop overexerting herself in training, Sakura would smile again. His mother had wanted Kamui to come home, her dying wish was to have Kamui be safe..._

_And what of those dreams now? Takumi scoffed. None of that mattered now. Kamui had betrayed them and she needed to die. He'd kill those scum for tricking her, and he would kill her as well. He would kill them for his parents, for_ Hoshido.

_Maybe then he wouldn't be a failure of a prince._

Takumi opened his eyes. He was... what was he doing?

He looked around and noticed he was in the forest, right by the lakeside. He had no memory of coming out to the forest and the idea frightened him. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, caught somewhere between dream and reality, and there was a dull ache behind his eyes. His body pained him as well, his bones feeling weak and he had to fight the urge to collapse.

He heard a quiet whimper. It almost sounded like a rodent being stomped on, the weak yelp barely audible over the light crashing of waves against the edge of the forest. He glanced around, looking for the source, and found himself looking down.

He was pinning Azura down and had a hand to her throat.

Had he been choking her?

He jumped backwards after his initial shock. His eyes were wide and he stared at her in disbelief. What was he doing? Why was he strangling her? Why was he in the forest in the first place?

"Y-you're back," she cried, her voice whispy and strained. Tremors ran though Takumi as he hyperventilated, his voice caught in his throat and heart pounding in his ears. He had done this, _he had done this_. He pushed himself backwards until he was against a tree, putting as much space as he could between the two of them.

Azura's skin was so pale - so so pale, unhealthy pale. It almost was translucent in the light. Was he that close to killing her? He felt his stomach churning and he had to suppress the urge to throw up.

"Takumi, I'm okay, _please calm down,_ " she begged, her voice urgent but just as airy as it was when she first spoke. He took notice of the pendant she wore - had she always been wearing that? - and how it glinted in the light. It was a pretty silver encasing a lighter blue crystal and-

He suddenly had the urge to pounce forward and rip it from her neck, to get her onto the ground and claw it away from her and take it back, take it back after all these years-

Takumi paled. Where did those thoughts come from? He had no intentions of hurting Azura. Why would he want to hurt her? His head hurt. _Everything hurt_. Why was he in so much pain?

When Azura hugged him, he stayed motionless. Her head was buried in his shoulder and her long blue hair was right under his chin. It would be so easy to snap her neck from this position, all he would have to do is reach forward and...

He pulled her closer to him, shoving his face into her hair. Azura was caught off guard by the sudden movement but found herself adjusting to the embrace. Takumi bit his lip, tightening the hug, grateful there was something tangible for him to hold on to, something to ground him.

It was a comfortable silence, the only sounds being their breathing. Azura continued to rub circles into Takumi's back, hoping it would bring him comfort. She wouldn't budge unless Takumi pulled away, and she had no problem with staying with him to calm him down.

She frowned, thinking about what had happened earlier. She had been sitting by the lake as usual, contemplating over her thoughts and wasting away the hours with song. She had become frightened at the sound of footsteps and leaves rustling, but at the sight of Takumi, she calmed down. She had greeted him, but when she heard an incomprehensible mutter as a response, she knew something was wrong.

Takumi had pounced onto her, snarling something about her song, and began to strangle her. He was reaching for her pendant when she began to sing - as best as she could while being choked, that is - and after interminable seconds of nearly being suffocated, Takumi screamed in pain and let go. His hand was still around her neck so she couldn't speak, but she could at least breathe. After that, he had seemed shocked that he was strangling her and proceeded to jump off in fear. As far as she could tell, he had no recollection of what had occurred before she sang.

"Azura," he asked, his voice brittle and small. "Could... could you sing for me?"

She could feel his hands trembling against her back. He was still shaken from what had occurred, that was apparent. She felt a sense of pity cross her thoughts but she tossed it away, knowing Takumi hated being pitied. Even in the state he was in, she knew his pride was important to him and he would appreciate small notions like treating him how he wanted to be treated.

"Of course." She agreed, and it was a completely natural transition for her voice to fall into song.

Takumi buried himself further into blue tresses and did his best to suppress thoughts of tearing them from her scalp. Urges to dig his nails into her back and rip the pendant from her neck constantly plagued him, but the further she got into the melody, the calmer he felt. He ceased trembling but he continued to hold onto Azura, hoping she would excuse his clinginess.

He probably looked like a child, grasping at Azura and burying his face into her hair. How embarrassing would it be if word got out about this? Being teased by his siblings about having a girlfriend would drive him insane. He could only imagine what terrible jabs Leo would come up with if he found out Takumi was so intimate with his sister.

When she finished, Takumi reluctantly pulled away, back against the tree and his face a safe distance away from the songstress'. Even though he was the one to pull away from the hug, he already missed the warmth Azura exuded and the pleasant smell her hair held. He wanted to lean in and be the one initiating the embrace, to smell her hair and feel the smoothness of her skin-

He banished such thoughts. How could he think such things about her, especially after she had just gone out of her way to comfort him and calm him down? How immature and crude of him!

"Thank you, Azura," he forced out, a blush rising to his face. He found his gaze stuck to the grass at his feet, unable to meet her bright golden eyes and beautiful cyan hair and - "Do you think you could keep this between us?"

Azura smiled at how bashful and embarrassed he seemed. To think, he had been strangling her less than an hour ago... It was odd. He was shaken at the event and was clutching at her for dear life - and now he was blushing like an idiot while trying to act unctuous and cool.

"Of course," she chuckled, her voice silvery. She would keep this a secret, knowing that telling the Shirasagi's would be betraying Takumi's trust. Even if it would be beneficial for his family to know about what had occurred, she had a feeling that being betrayed would hurt him more in the long run.

She put her hand to her pendant, its weight reassuring against her neck. Since she was young, she had heard stories about the gem being a fragment of a dragonstone, one that was used alongside her song to rejuvenate soldiers and to bring peace. Her mother spoke little about the pendant besides a stern warning to not overuse its power.

It made Azura wonder why she was entrusted the heirloom in the first place. It wasn't as if her mother was placing the burden on _her_ by giving her ownership... her mother would _never_ do such a thing.

Then why did it pain her when she sang to Takumi? She felt as if she were being ripped apart, her skin phasing in and out of tangibility. It was terrifying, almost fading into non-existence, but she did it to save her life. And maybe Takumi's also, for that matter. If her song was what was able to pull him out of that animalistic state, then maybe she would have to stay by his side and keep him himself.

"It's getting dark," Takumi said, now on his feet. His hand was outstretched, and Azura found herself taking it with a grateful smile.

In a comfortable silence, the two trekked through the forest, the sunset painting the sky with breathtaking hues of pinks and reds and blues. They found themselves staring in awe, taking in the magic of the sky. Realizing they were both rooted in place staring, they broke into laughter at how cliche it all seemed.

"Maybe we could watch the sunset again tomorrow?" Takumi offered, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

Azura chuckled, her hand hovering in front of her mouth. "That sounds nice."

Yes... she had made up her mind. She could bear the burden of the pendant if it could save this Takumi. If she could save the Takumi that valued his pride and boasted his skills, the one who flustered easily and wanted to watch sunsets with her...

Then yes. She would save Takumi, even if it would kill her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What an unhealthy amount of foreshadowing. And italics.
> 
> A hint of Takuzura but I'm kind of rolling with the idea from their support that Takumi has a crush on Azura since the first time they met. Ironically enough, I don't even have an otp for Takumi...
> 
> Well, until the next chapter.


	12. Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait but I had a lot of homework and then there was a lot of real life stuff to deal with. This is the longest chapter yet (as well as the longest chapter I have ever written) but ironically wrote it all today. At least this chapter is done with, I spent a good portion of my day on this. There are probably typos galore but I'll edit this chapter sometime later when it's not after one in the morning and I have school tomorrow. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoy!

It was... odd. There had been a void, where darkness surrounded him and the cold seemed to fill his very being - and then it was gone. Just as suddenly, it was replaced with brightness and fertility and existence. The world seemed to open up to him, like it had been here this entire time - like _he_ had been here this entire time - and he found it difficult to recall when there was a time that nothing had existed.

There was the sun and he could remember bathing in its warmth, enjoying the calm it brought him. And there was the moon and the stars, shining elegantly and spurring musings of other worlds and other life. The earth beneath him was comfortable and familiar, it was all he knew and all he had ever known, but there was always the desire to spread his wings and see where the winds would carry him.

Anankos had loved the Earth, the way life had furled all around him and continued to prosper. He could hardly remember when humans had first been brought into the world, but watching them colonize and form bonds was contenting. Watching with a sort of envy, he found himself approaching the humans and conversing with them.

At that time, where life was new and ignorant, the humans did not shun Anankos for being a dragon. They had willingly accepted him into their world and taught him their language and ways of their culture. He had learned of this developing kingdom - Valla, they had called it - and had been welcomed by their king.

Ryuurei was the picture of calm and benevolence, his short blue hair falling close to his shoulders and framing golden eyes and a kind smile. He wore white robes and stood tall, and Anankos pondered how anybody could find the man intimidating. The human was good-hearted and saw the best in his people, as well as in the dragon. It was easy to dictate he ruled with his kindness rather than by instilling fear.

"My dear Anankos," the king greeted, his voice a mix of chivalry and genuine happiness, "I am grateful you are back in my kingdom. It has been a lonely time without your presence here in Valla."

Anankos frowned, fangs drawn back. Time had passed quicker than he had liked during his travels and it had been a few months since his last time in Valla. His blood had yearned for him to spread his wings and fly, to enjoy the peace of the skies and the wind against his skin. Distantly, he wished for humans to grow wings and enjoy the skies with him, but he brushed the thought away for how childish it seemed. Dragons would be the sole owners of the air, whether he liked it or not.

Without the company of humans, he had felt more of his draconic instincts tug at the edges of his mind. At first, it had been a simple desire to take to the skies, but the longer he spent away from Valla, the more intense urges became to bring harm to the humans he had learned to love. It was concerning, knowing that one day he would fall into a state where he would be unable to combat these desires, where he would harm those he cared about. He cursed his blood, his being, and had forced himself to return to the kingdom and visit the people.

The dragon exhaled, returning his thoughts to his friend. "My apologies for being away for so long, my king-"

"Please, no need for formalities," Ryuurei smiled, placing a hand upon one of Anankos'. The dragon returned the gesture with a smile of his own, grateful that the human valued their friendship and was comfortable enough to renounce titles. It was a simple, miniscule notion, but it was consoling in a way to share a sense of familiarity.

"I appreciate that, Ryuurei," Anankos acquiesced, eyes bright with the happiness he felt. However, his thoughts returned to the time he spent away from the kingdom and his people, causing a frown to tug at his lips. "But, pray tell, how are you? And the Vallites?"

The king smiled lightly, but Anankos noticed that it failed to reach his eyes. "We have been better, but the living conditions are... bearable." With the confusion that the dragon must have exhibited, Ryuurei ran his hand through his hair and elaborated with a nervous chuckle. "Our livestock are in poor health and we have nearly completely harvested all of the forest's berries. Our water supply is running low and my people are growing ill."

Anankos cursed himself. The people were dying and he had been flying through the skies without a care in the world. He could have replenished those supplies sooner and helped the humans that had been so welcoming to him. It was the least he could do after all they had done for him. And if it would provide relief to Ryuurei, the dragon would do everything in his power to help Valla.

"I wish I knew sooner, although that is my own fault." He admitted, upset with himself for being so ignorant and allowing his draconic instincts to get the better of him. At least he could atone by helping the humans now; better late than never, he surmised grimly. "However, I will replenish your supplies for my plunder."

Before Ryuurei could get a word in, Anankos backed up, putting a reasonable amount of space between him and the king. The dragon dug his claws into the ground and a gold radiance began to shine around him. Within seconds, trees began to rise from the Earth and all sorts of berries and fruits grew from their branches. The ground towards Anankos' feet rearranged and formed a long trench before water materialized to form a river.

Removing his claws from the Earth, he drew himself into a normal sitting position, regaining his energy after the exertion. Turning back to his friend, the king had his mouth agape but soon settled on a grateful smile. "Anankos, you are truly our savior!"

The dragon returned the smile, his fangs glinting in the sunlight. "You flatter me, Ryuurei," he chuckled, red eyes bright with joy, "but it was nothing. If you had power like mine, you would barely break a sweat while helping your people."

Although Anankos had meant it to be an offhand comment, he wondered if Ryuurei would take offense to it. Perhaps the king would make better use of inhuman powers to help the Vallites. All Anankos seemed to do with it was bottle it up and take to the skies for long months. It wasn't as if the dragon did not help the humans as well, but maybe humans would benefit more from such power.

"Ryuurei," he beckoned, leaning in towards the human. When the blue-haired man approached, Anankos rested his snout on the earth before the king. "Place your hand upon me."

With slight hesitation, the man did as he was told. He had no doubt in his mind that Anankos meant no harm, but it was still an odd request. Evidenced by the dragon providing food and another source of water mere minutes ago, Ryuurei had no issue with trusting the creature. After all, no harm had ever become of him or his people as a result of the dragon.

Anankos shut his eyes and his body began to glow a bright gold. It took a moment for Ryuurei to realize _he_ was glowing as well, and when he became aware, he felt a new strength come to him and felt completely rejuvenated. Something in his blood burned with power and he felt a new warmth throughout his being. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Anankos pulled away and the golden incandescence had faded from both of them. Reopening red eyes, the dragon almost laughed at the mix of confusion and awe on the king's face.

"If any harm is to befall me or I am no longer myself," Anankos said, expression unreadable, "I have blessed you with my blood so that you will be able to help your people."

"Anankos, I-" Ryuurei began, taking a few steps forward with an outstretched arm. "I thank you sincerely for blessing me with such power, but... what do you mean by not being yourself? What sort of cruel fate will befall you?"

The dragon frowned, perhaps at the concern in the king's usually calm voice, perhaps at his own predicament. He knew he would eventually fall prey to his draconic instincts and there was no escaping his bloodline, his destiny. At least by entrusting some power into humans, there would be hope that, if - _when_ he fell into madness, he would be able to be stopped.

"Fate is cruel to everyone and that does not exclude me," he said carefully, his words cryptic. "I cannot escape my destiny but I can at least lessen its consequences. As long as I can protect the humans that helped me, I will accept my fate. All I ask is that you remember me as the dragon that loved the people of Valla."

The king was shocked and continued to plead, to make sense of the dragon's ambiguous words. "Do not speak like you are already a goner, Anankos! We can get through this together, whatever this fate is. After what you have done for me and my people - _our_ people... I will do everything in my power to prevent this fate!"

And after a long silence, Anankos smiled with resignation. "I pray you can save me from myself, my king."

* * *

Time passed much more quickly than Anankos would have liked. In the blink of an eye, Ryuurei had met a woman, gotten married, had kids, and grew old. The humans the dragon was used to seeing were changing, as they grew old too and the infants became children, teenagers, and adults. Seasons followed one another, laden with happiness and tears - and time was passing all too fast.

When Ryuurei had died, Anankos had been overcome by sorrow. The blood he had bestowed upon him all those years ago had done nothing to preserve his youth. The dragon had been powerless against the hands of time as it claimed countless Vallites, but the passing of the king had been the greatest sorrow he had felt. The people mourned as well, but their cries were nothing compared to Anankos' grief.

He cried and screamed and _raged_. He had destroyed an entire forest in his outrage but it didn't matter to him anymore. His friend was dead and he was powerless to do anything. He was useless, he could do nothing to save Ryuurei from fate - the same thing that was destined to claim his own sanity - and he could no longer contain his rage.

In fear, the humans he had come to love had begun attacking him, screaming for him to leave. Surrounded by fell trees, he growled in outrage at the barrage of arrows and the swords swung at his scales. They called him a monster, they condemned his outrage. At this point, he could not care about Valla or humanity, not after how they had treated him for caring for their king.

In the need to get away from it all, he spread his wings and seized the wind.

How could humans treat him like this? He had been mourning over the loss of their king just like them. He had been blinded by his sorrow and rage, that was true, but he could have easily regrown that forest. Why had the humans attacked him? Did they not care for him like they proclaimed they did? ... Had they only tolerated him because they knew their king liked him?

He roared, the sound booming despite flying through the air. He could hear the echo of it in the distance and he wondered if those in Valla could hear him, if it would strike fear into them and send them in a panic. Deep down, he knew he did not want harm to come to the humans, but the more conscious part of him desired their destruction and for pain to befall them. If he had to suffer alone at the thought of the death of Ryuurei and the betrayal of the Vallites, he wished he could inflict more harm to the humans.

He landed at the edge of a cliff and found shelter in a cave, away from Valla but close enough to see it in the distance. After he calmed down, perhaps he would return, but Anankos feared that the humans would not accept him after what he had done. No matter how many forests he conjured and how much water he supplied them, the trust they had was broken, and without the king to mend it, all hope was lost. The life he had cherished before was gone and the humans would never take him back.

Swallowing down the sorrow he felt, he retreated into the cave and slept.

Quite some time afterwards, he was awoken by a man with hair as blue and eyes as golden as Ryuurei's had been. In the haziness of his vision, Anankos nearly mistook the man for his friend before coming to the realization that the man was long since dead.

"Pardon my intrusion, Anankos," the man began, confidence booming. "But my father made a promise with you and I wish to fulfill it."

This man's father? With the color of his hair and the hue of his eyes, it was obvious this had to be Ryuurei's son. But what promise had the king made with him? He racked his memory for one such thing but came up empty, his mind still hazy from sleep.

"Do... do you not remember?" The man asked sadly, hope dying on his tongue. He was frowning and his eyes held unmistakable sorrow, something that the dragon picked up on. However, no matter how much effort he put into recalling the promise he made with Ryuurei, he found himself coming up empty with each and every attempt.

"And what promise was that?" He asked with a steady tone, concealing the inner turmoil he felt as his memory failed him. Hopefully the man would perceive him as condescending rather than vulnerable and weak. Even if this was Ryuurei's son, something in him wished to continue hating humanity and cause them agony.

The blue-haired man grabbed the pendant he was holding in one hand and used the other for gesturing as he spoke. "My father told you that he would save you from the fate of which you spoke of. He said that a cruel fate would befall you and he had promised to help you through your destiny. As my father is not with us anymore, I wish to fulfill his wish and help you, just like you helped our people."

At the mention of the Vallite people, Anankos scowled. The mention of Ryuurei and the promise he made caused something inside the dragon to feel something... he wanted to go back to Valla and speak with the people again, to become friendly with this man and watch over the royal family for generation after generation. He wanted to love humanity again and not feel the urge to... to...

"I have no intention of returning to the same people that attacked me," he growled, narrowing his eyes at the man. Not expecting such a reaction, the new king danced a few steps backwards, his hand still clutched around that necklace of his. "I will kill them... I will kill all of humanity for betraying me...!"

He reached his claws forward and he opened his mouth, fangs ready to clamp down on the man. The ground began to shake and trees began to protrude from the rocks around him, ready to ensnare the king and end his life. He would kill Valla's king as revenge, and then he would slaughter the humans as well. He would kill all of them...!

Suddenly, he was purged of malicious thoughts and the earth ceased its tremors. The trees that had begun to sprout retreated back into ground and he felt his rage leave him. He retracted his hands and pulled his claws away from the king, only now coming to the realization that the man was _singing._

Distantly, Anankos remembered creating a dragonstone and bestowing it to Ryuurei. He had also crafted a melody that would quell his draconic instincts and taught it to the king to help fulfill the promise they had made. By using the power of the dragonstone and singing that song, the rage he had felt died and he felt _normal_ after all this time.

"T-thank you," Anankos choked out, condemning himself for slipping so far into his madness that he nearly killed his friend's son. If only he could combat those urges without the need of the stone and the song, he would feel better. He knew it inflicted pain to the user by singing and he would hate to cause unnecessary pain to Ryuurei's son.

The king bowed, maintaining a smile although it was obvious how much it pained him to utilize the dragonstone's power. His voice was strained but it still held the same kindness Anankos recognized from Ryuurei. "See, Anankos, I can keep you under control. I know the real you loves humanity and would hate to see harm befall us. If you lose control, I can always rein you back in, so please, return with me to Valla-"

Anankos shut his eyes with a sigh, interrupting the king's request. "I cannot return to Valla after what I did. Your people hate me and I do not know if I can control myself." He knew the man would rebut with using the dragonstone so he started again almost instantly. "Using the dragonstone's power is clearly painful for you, King of Valla. I cannot in good conscience allow you to harm yourself in order to keep me in check. I could not forgive myself if you died and your people lost another king."

A long silence followed and Anankos opened his eyes, half-expecting the king to be gone after how long the quiet transpired. However, the man was still there, golden eyes clouded in internal debate. For how long he stood there in thought, the dragon began to feel guilty for causing all of this, but was grateful when the man finally spoke.

"If you do not wish to return, I cannot force you to. However," he glanced up to meet Anankos' eyes and flashed him a kind smile, one that instantly reminded the dragon of Ryuurei, "I will be sure to visit and provide you company."

And for the many years after that, Ryuurei's son visited whenever he could be away from his kingly duties. The man began to grow old as well and his visits became less and less frequent until they stopped altogether. Anankos cried once again but did not fall into madness, resigning to a silent mourning.

For many years, he was alone. Sometimes he would take to the skies to waste away the time, but he primarily stayed in his cave. He was only mildly surprised when the next king arrived at his cave, and after a lifetime spent with him, he died as well.

Before Anankos knew it, every single king of Valla after Ryuurei had befriended him and visited him constantly, only separated by their respective deaths. It was an endless cycle of happiness and sadness, but it was what he had become used to. Nothing would ever compare to his time with Ryuurei, but his descendants would have to do. At least _some_ humans cared for him, no matter if they did it for the king's legacy or if they truly enjoyed his company. Whatever the reason was, it kept Anankos sane and he had no reason to complain.

However, countless kings after the time of Ryuurei, Anankos had been in a bad mood. There had not been a visit in quite some time and he reasoned that the king had probably grown old and died. He had liked this latest king, which was quite upsetting, but he figured he would get over it soon enough. The new king would arrive soon and the cycle would begin again.

Many years went by. The loneliness was close to driving the dragon insane, but he held on. The new king would be here soon and he would have a new friend. He would have a new friend and he would no longer be lonely.

Or maybe there would never be another king. Maybe the humans had grown sick of him and threw their tradition in the trash. It was upsetting to consider but it was certainly a possibility. The kings would stop coming and he would be lonely once again.

Nothing could contain his rage now. No dragonstone and no song meant there was nothing stopping those urges from ripping at his mind and dictating his life. He hated humans for betraying him. They had attacked him, and once he had left, they had built up his trust for centuries just to break it once again. They had lied to him. They had hurt him once again. They had betrayed him. They would die for this! Why had he been so foolish to fall into this cycle and trust humanity? He was stupid, so so stupid. He needed to eradicate the humans before they tricked him once again.

A man was beginning to enter his cave, and by the look of that unmistakable blue hair and golden eyes, it was the next king. However, rage boiled in his blood and his contempt was getting the best of him. Yes, he would get his revenge. After the humans had tricked him and manipulated him, he would kill this one. For making him into the fool, yes, he would kill this one.

He pounced on the king, digging his claws into the man's chest until he bled out. He spat on the man, looking over the disfigured body with disgust, and he tossed the corpse over the edge, watching as the pendant flew through the air.

Somewhere deep down, something pained him. Something was telling him how immoral his killing was and was begging him to stop. Killing the king had felt so good, so _relieving_... But he knew it was wrong. It was wrong and _he_ was wrong.

Something in his mind split and a part of his soul ripped itself out, removing itself from him and disappearing somewhere beyond his vision.

In a split second, he had already forgotten the occurrence, overwhelmed with the desire to lay waste to humanity. Nothing else mattered and there was no small voice in the back of his head convincing him otherwise. He would finally get his revenge - he would kill those humans for causing him so much pain. He would eradicate the humans and make them pay for their betrayal.

* * *

The man awoke, red eyes bleary against the harsh sunlight. His head ached and had the faintest clue as to where he was. He was in a forest, he could tell as much, but nothing else seemed familiar. The white robes he wore seemed unfamiliar and the blue hair that hung around his face was foreign to him.

"Are you alright?" A voice beckoned. It was a woman's and it was filled with genuine concern, causing something in him to twist in sadness.

He pushed himself into a sitting position and was finally able to see the woman hovering over him. She had fair skin and her black hair framed her face gorgeously. Against the sunlight and with his hazy vision, he nearly mistook her for an angel, but when she spoke again, he was removed from his thoughts.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know," she mused with a light chuckle. Nevertheless, she offered him her hand, to which he took to get to his feet.

She smiled at him, her eyes filled with warmth. "My name is Mikoto, and what may I call you?"

Mikoto. What a beautiful name to fit an equally beautiful woman. He almost found his thoughts getting away from him with thoughts of her, but he was able to rein them back in when a more serious realization occurred to him.

"I... I don't know," he admitted, his voice trembling as he realized he had no recollection of anything before waking up in the forest. "I can't remember anything..."

Mikoto frowned, her eyes growing sad. Without much precedent, she took his hand into hers and began to leave the forest, surprising the man as he nearly got dragged away. However, her grip was gentle, but stern nonetheless.

"Well, until you remember, you'll be staying with me. These woods are dangerous and I will not allow you to be hurt," her voice was commanding, yet it held a kindness that reassured him that everything was going to be okay. That kindness tugged at something in his mind as well, but he pushed it aside. She probably reminded him of a person he could not remember at the time, someone warm and kind and caring.

Mikoto brought him to a small cabin and checked him for injuries but found nothing. Afterwards, she settled on cooking dinner while asking him questions about his memory and his past. Of course, he could provide her no answers - which served to frustrate both of them - but he found that he still enjoyed her company.

Later into the night, upon waking from something short of a nightmare, there was a single word that left his lips. It held countless emotions with endless memories tied to it, but he could recall none of them. Mikoto stirred beside him in both confusion and in excitement.

"Ryuurei?" She inquired, a smile tugging at her lips, "Maybe that is your name!"

He nodded along, accepting it as his name, but something did not seem right. Deep down, he knew that Ryuurei was somebody else - somebody that he had cared a lot about before he had lost his memories - but for now, all he could do was accept the name until he remembered his identity. Hearing Mikoto say it was music to his ears so he could not possibly refuse and upset her.

And many nights turned into many weeks, and many weeks turned into many months, and as the years flew by, Mikoto and Ryuurei fell in love. They got married and had a daughter, a girl named Kamui with eyes as red as her father and face as beautiful as her mother. Of course, thoughts of his past continued to haunt him, but with the life he had established, he did not want to look back.

One day while he was exploring the forest Mikoto had found him in all those years ago, Ryuurei smelt something foul. Although disgusted by the smell, his curiosity got the best of him and he headed towards the origin. Pushing past some branches, he hopped over a bush or two and nearly vomited at the sight.

A dead body, half-deteriorated with a mix of bones and rotten flesh. It was repugnant and he had to swallow down the bile rising in his throat. He could have easily ran away and forgotten what he had seen but something goaded him forward. Around the neck of the corpse was a pendant that shone with an otherworldly beauty, and he found his feet drawing closer without his consent.

Biting his tongue to distract himself from the urge to vomit, he leaned in towards the corpse and began to remove the pendant from its neck. Part of the head fell off at the slightest touch and Ryuurei winced in response. He hated the idea of stealing from a corpse, but something in him demanded him to retrieve the pendant.

When he finally got it off the corpse, he wiped it off with his sleeve. He was finally able to get a good look at it without dealing with the horrendous smell of carnage overwhelming his senses. Inspecting it, it was a blue stone encased by silver. Of course, it was pretty on its own, but there was something about it that seemed to draw him in and capture his attention completely.

Running his finger over the stone, he nearly dropped the pendant as visions ran across his eyes. His knees buckled beneath him and he fell to the ground but visions of dragons and kings with blue hair flashed before him.

When he eventually came back to his senses, he realized he was on his side and pulled inward, his hands still around the pendant. He was trembling, still shaken by everything he had seen. Ryuurei...

"No, I'm not Ryuurei..." He finished his thoughts out loud, as if he had to reaffirm himself. "Ryuurei was a better man than I ever was..."

He clutched at the pendant, holding it to his chest as if it were his lifeline, and began muttering to himself.

"I... I am Anankos."

He returned home, and upon finding Mikoto, he informed her that he had recovered him memories. After informing her, he left her the pendant and told her not to tell Kamui about him. It would be better if she believed that her father had left her, rather than the fact that her father was the dragon that had just killed the most recent king of Valla, who had happened to be the husband of Mikoto's sister, Arete.

After a long hug and many farewell kisses, he tore himself away from Mikoto. He planted a kiss to his daughter's forehead and took his leave, knowing it was better to not drag out his farewell, lest he make it more difficult. Begrudgingly, he left his wife and daughter, knowing it was for the best to not burden them. After everything Mikoto had done for him, there was no way he could possibly cause her any more trouble.

It was odd being on his own again, but he grew used to the solitude. Whenever he would come upon his dragon self would be even stranger, but he pushed through. He needed to be away from Mikoto and Kamui, as he was afraid the dragon would go after him and use his family against him. He had advised Mikoto to run to Hoshido, the kingdom that he was sure would accept them into hiding, and all he could do was pray.

During his long years of hiding, he had a strange feeling overcome him. Somewhere... In a different realm, a dragon had just been slain. How he could deduce such a thing was beyond him, but nevertheless, it filled him with hope. There were heroes out there that could help kill his dragon self.

Using the power he had, he summoned three of the warriors from that realm. They had seemed skeptical at first, but when he was finally able to tell them of his past and ask for their help, they surprised him by accepting.

"How could heroes such as us deny somebody in need?" Owain asked rhetorically, gesturing wildly as the other two sighed, already adapted to his theatrics. "I suppose being heroes is our birthright. Or maybe we crave the thrill of conquest... The seduction of revelation...!"

"We'll help you, but don't think we're doing this out of the goodness of our hearts," Severa huffed, crossing her arms and facing away from him.

Inigo tugged Owain towards him as well as pulled Severa closer so that he had either arm around his friends' shoulders. "Don't listen to them, Anankos," he chuckled with a wink. "We're happy to help you out."

Anankos smiled in grateful, his eyes hidden by the hood of his cloak. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much I appreciate this."

He bestowed them some of his blood and gave them new names and appearances. Odin cackled, dark magic fizzling at his fingertips as he began another speech about them being chosen heroes. Selena threatened to shut him up with a slice of her sword, and Laslow proceeded to laugh at the two of them.

As the battle began, he and the trio were able to hold back the monsters that surrounded them, but the real adversary was the girl with blue and red hair that called herself a servant to the "real" Anankos. After the battle, he learned that this girl was the daughter of his dragon self, which was a surprise in itself, and that his dragon self had treated this girl as nothing more than a slave.

He had sent the trio away to Nohr, where Kamui was, and it was just him and Lilith. The girl struggled with the demands of the dragon, her own desires, and the words of the human Anankos. In the end, she could not kill her human father, but while protecting her from an attack from his dragon self, he was at the edges of his consciousnesses and his life was slipping away from him.

"Are... are you okay, Lilith?" He asked weakly, to which she affirmed. Noise was beginning to grow quiet and his vision was dark around the edges, leaving just the sight of his daughter. "Good, I'm... glad."

They continued to talk, but the longer they conversed, the more difficult it became to speak. His breathing was labored and his heart was beginning to slow.

This was it. This... was it? It seemed absurd. His entire life was a jumbled mess, most of his existence being a dragon but at the end, he was thrown into a human life and he was going to die as one. A human... how ironic. The ones he had loved and shared his power to... the ones he had detested and swore he would eliminate from the earth.

He laughed, at how unpredictable his life had been. At how bizarre his existence had been, at how he would technically still be alive through his dragon self. He laughed, a smile on his face as Lilith held onto him like she had known and loved him her entire life.

He apologized. To Lilith. To Mikoto. To Kamui.

And he faded away into bubbles, bubbles with lives as fleeting as his had been.

* * *

Anankos laughed. Everything was so easy - so simple. Garon was so easy to manipulate after the death of Queen Katerina, and watching the warfare that followed between Nohr and Hoshido was amusing. Pitting humans against one another was entertaining and the destruction they caused one another was a pleasure to watch.

He spent many years like that, enjoying the bloodshed between the two nations, but he took a particular notice when the two royal families gathered around a girl with hair as white as snow and a decision was made. Once she returned to Nohr, Anankos could almost _feel_ the negative emotions festering in the Hoshidan royal family.

And although each and every single one of them held their own self-loathing, the second prince _exuded_ his feelings. The dragon could nearly _smell_ the jealousy coming from the boy, but after the girl had chosen Nohr, he was filled with feelings of hurt and betrayal.

Anankos, somewhere deep down, found it all too familiar. The feeling of being betrayed, no matter how many years had passed, was still a wound of his easily reopened, and he knew it would be easy to manipulate this boy. By sneaking into his conscious through his emotions, the dragon lay dormant in the boy's mind, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Garon would function perfectly fine without his constant guidance. He was already delusional with the promise of power from Anankos, meaning he would not have to put in any more effort to make the King of Nohr his pawn. That meant he could focus all of his power onto goading this boy into becoming his puppet.

The more time that passed, the more territory Nohr conquered and the more battles were lost by Hoshido. Takumi cursed himself for being weak, for being useless - and Anankos found himself agreeing, continuing to push the boy farther and farther into the depths of despair.

Upon losing at the Wall of Suzanoh, Anankos was finally able to manipulate Takumi's emotions to the point of suicide. With Takumi finally dead, the dragon would be able to use his body and start by killing that pesky daughter of his.

The fight in the throne room had been gruesome, and in some sort of last resort, Anankos bound part of his soul to Takumi's. He would suffer for the lifetimes to come, but he was assured survival.

Kamui had her blade to his throat, the Yato gleaming with blood from his subordinates. Anankos goaded her to kill him but, just as he expected her to, she yielded. She could not give the finishing blow, not to her brother.

The younger Nohrian prince strode forward, divine tome in his hand and magic cracking in his palm. "If my sister doesn't have the heart to do it, then I have no problem with finishing this up."

Anankos grinned in a deranged way, red eyes jubilant. He would be back. Takumi's soul would be reincarnated and he would get his revenge. It would take time, he was certain of it, but he would have his revenge.

"Nothing but cinders!"

And for a long time after that, there was nothing but blackness.

He had slight cognition of the lives that followed, but he found that he spent most of his time laying dormant and sleeping. He was exhausted and although he had no physical body, everything seemed to hurt him. The only thing that would occasionally disturb him would be the nightmares the soul was prone to and a few thoughts here and there.

Many lifetimes went by like that, but upon the death of one and the transition of the next, Anankos knew something was different this time around. When he tapped into his shared consciousness and saw the Hoshidan royal family, he knew something was wrong. When he was named Takumi once again... there was something wrong.

He befriended the soul unwillingly, and the life he spent with Takumi began to bring him back to his senses. He had loved humanity. He had loved humans and it was his draconic instincts that drove him to wish for their end. Watching Takumi grow up seemed to draw forth a fatherly instinct, the same he felt with Kamui... The same his human self felt with Lilith.

Perhaps that human part had always been with the dragon - it had just been obscured by the worst stages of his degeneration and his madness. Although they were separated at the time, Anankos could distinctly remember his time with Mikoto and Kamui, and he could recall the genuine love he felt for them. That part of him had never truly left him after all.

"Ryuurei?" Takumi asked, his eyes rolling over the words of a book but their meaning not registering in this head. A mason jar filled with fireflies shined over his shoulder from his windowsill, their radiance providing a bright enough light source to read.

 _Yes, Taki?_ He replied almost immediately, a bit disoriented from his recollection.

Takumi placed the book over his chest and gazed blankly at his ceiling. "You were alive once, right?"

Not understanding where his train of thought was heading, all Anankos could do was answer his question truthfully. _Yes, I... was alive once._

A childish hope entered his eyes and his lips tugged into a light smile; his thoughts were filled with a girl with long blue hair and golden eyes. "Was there anybody you ever loved?"

Anankos thought of Ryuurei, the first king of Valla and his first friend. He thought of the humans of Valla and of the kings that followed. He thought of Mikoto, of Kamui and Lilith...

 _No_. He answered, crushing whatever hopes Takumi had in his mind. Anankos knew it was a lie, but there was a part of him tugging at him, goading him into taking complete control over Takumi and wreaking havoc over humanity, just like he had promised all those lifetimes ago. His draconic instincts were clawing at him and it was hard to fight down the urges.

He _had_ loved before. He had loved many humans, but he was drowning in the madness he felt constantly pulling at his consciousness. It would not be long before he completely submitted to those desires and Takumi would be swallowed along with him. If there was any way to save the two of them, to prevent the degeneration from affecting both of them...

 _Takumi._ Anankos hissed, and the boy was caught off guard by the use of his full name. _You must find Azura, and quickly._

"Ryu, it's two in the morning," he reasoned, "I couldn't possibly-!"

Anankos growled, biting back a roar, causing Takumi to wince. _I don't know how much longer I can fight this, so please..._

"Fight what?" Takumi shouted in a whisper, exasperated and frantic at what the voice was getting on about. "What even _are_ you?"

 _I'll explain everything later, just_ please _... Find her and have her sing for us._

The pleading in Ryuurei's voice is what really sent Takumi into action. He had heard the voice angry, snarky, happy, upset... anything but panicked and afraid and _pleading_ with him. It was something that frightened him as well and he never wanted to hear the voice speak like that ever again.

He shoved his feet into his shoes and threw on a jacket, the cold snapping him out of the half-asleep state he was in, and he ran. Having been over to the house to hang out with Leo, he knew exactly which house he was heading to. No matter how absurd it seemed as he ran the situation over (the voice in his head goaded him to run to Azura's house at two in the morning for her to _sing_ to him), he knew he had to fulfill Anankos' wish.

While he was running, he heard the voice cry out in anguish. Fear seized his heart and his mind raced to come up with a conclusion. However, before Takumi could inquire about it, he lost all feeling in his body and blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. This chapter covered Anankos' perspective from his birth, his time with Ryuurei and the kings that followed, his life with Mikoto, the events of the Hidden Truths DLC, an abridged version of Conquest, and the events of this fic. Man, am I tired. Ends in a cliffhanger too so I'm a jerk. :P


	13. The Sense of an Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break. Had a lot of school work and studying and rehearsals and the band concert. All of my teachers crammed tests in the last few days before April break, but at least I'm on break now. Still have tons of work for my ap classes but I'll make do.
> 
> Don't be fooled by the title of the chapter, it's not the finale!

Anankos ran the sharp end of a rock against his shin, hissing in a mix of pain and pleasure. Red eyes examined the multiple cuts and the blood trailing down his legs, and he grinned devilishly. When he got to his feet, standing at his full height, he staggered, walking with a slight limp. Tears were beginning to well in his eyes, and he could not help but laugh. This human was so pitiful, how had his other half taken an affinity to him?

Anankos scoffed in amusement. Soon, he would have this body to himself.

He pushed through the burning in his legs, knowing that he had certainly felt worse, and he continued down the sidewalk. Many times he stumbled, cursing his weak vessel, but he kept on his way towards the Windmire house.

It was eerie, only the pale moonlight showing him his path, but he pressed on, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. The threat of police finding the trail failed to faze him, knowing he could easily deal with weakling humans. There was only one thing that could harm him, and it would not be long before he dealt with it.

Approaching the house, he quieted his steps and suppressed the purple flames exuding through his skin. He ran his hand through his hair, entangling his bangs with dirt and flaring them out. For good measure, he added some cuts to his face and ripped some of his clothing.

From around the corner, Anankos could nearly _taste_ the negative emotions brewing from the individual on the back steps. Although his power was limited in this human body, the dragon could still sense emotions and manipulate them as well. It was simple to deduce from the feel of residue magic that it was Leo sitting around the corner, kept up by the pangs of insomnia and self-deprecating thoughts.

The dragon grinned to himself. This was simply too easy. The gods were just smiling down on him today, it seemed.

Anankos allowed the tears to fall freely now, and without precedent, he stumbled around the corner and collapsed. Leo instantly jumped to his feet and ran over to his friend, shock overcoming him at the sight of cuts and smudges of blood. It took everything in the dragon to hold back a smile, to not audibly laugh at how smoothly everything was going.

"Gods!" The blond cried out, rolling his friend onto his back to examine the countless more injuries, "Takumi, what _happened_ to you!"

Anankos kept his eyes squeezed shut to feign pain and he winced against Leo's touch with a groan. "I c-can't explain now," he muttered, hand clenching over his chest, " _please_... just get Azura... and have her sing for... for me."

Leo seemed rooted in place in a mix of shock and panic. Guessing by how long it seemed for him to make up his mind, the dragon wondered if the reincarnated mage had figured him out. Either way, it took him a beat too long to get to his feet and run into the house, leaving the back door wide open in his rush.

For how smart Leo made himself out to be, he had no common sense. He wouldn't hesitate in leaving Takumi behind in the cold, on the ground of his backyard? He wouldn't question why he was here in the middle of the night? It wasn't as if the blond had no knowledge of Anankos. And if the plan continued its success, the plunder would cost him his sister's life.

Anankos sat himself up, digging his hands into the stones on the ground for good measure. And what excuse would he give to Azura? He brushed the thought aside; as long as he was able to lure her out, there was no need to plan any further. He had the rocks beside him as well as his own two hands. Leo was powerless against him, and the dragon's inability to kill the human meant nothing; it was the girl he was after.

He frowned. It would be easier to proceed into the house rather than stay outside. After all, Leo left the door wide open and the screaming would be better contained within the house. He pushed some of the stones into his pockets before getting to his feet and entering the house, making sure to close the door behind him.

The house was dark with steaks of moonlight entering in through the windows. Wooden furniture littered the rooms and Anankos pushed past them with annoyance, breaking a vase or two. There were faint hints of emotions throughout the house, most likely from the rest of the Windmire family, but the dragon could make out two distinct sources from upstairs. With a smirk, he made his way up the stairs as soundlessly as possible, steps quiet under the creaking wood. Straining his ears, he could hear the faint whispers of conversation between Leo and Azura, and it was easy to hear the haste and panic in their voices.

Anankos could feel something in his soul, tugging at his consciousness, but he ignored the feeling. He scowled; his other half was just as pitiful as the human. It was a shame his other half continuously became attached to humans and dragged him down. The dragon had no need for friendships and trivial bonds, not when all they would do is waste time and hinder judgement.

With quiet steps, Anankos pressed himself against the wall next to the door in wait of the two Windmires. His thoughts were muddled with bloodlust, but he knew he needed to focus to get everything right. His plan had been going perfectly so far; he could not let his hunger get the best of him and ruin it all. He bit his tongue, satiating himself with the miniscule amount of blood it allowed him, and continued to wait.

The cuts on his legs had already began to scab, and his hair felt absolutely disgusting to the touch. Had he gone overboard with his charade? It was too late to ponder that now. Not when there were tears long dried on his cheeks and his face was coated in a mix of blood and dirt. His plan was almost complete and he was _so_ close to victory.

Blending in with the shadows, Leo walked right past Anankos. Retrieving some of the stones from his pockets, Anankos flung them at the blond, eliciting a cry on impact.

"Leo!" Azura called out, running out of the room with an outstretched hand. She had completely honed in on her brother, golden eyes focused on the gashes beginning to form on his pale skin, and she failed to notice her attacker until it was too late.

" _Foolish girl!_ " Anankos proceeded to tackle her to the floor, pinning her down with his knee in her stomach.

"Azura!" Leo cried out, eyes wide. How could he be so stupid and leave Takumi unattended? Of course Anankos would take advantage of the situation and use his friendship with Takumi against him; if only Leo had seen through the ploy and prevented this from even happening-

She struggled for breath, hands clutched around her pendant as it glowed dimly. Anankos was eventually able to pry her hands away from the heirloom, and with a swift tug, he tore the chain from her neck.

" _You make this too easy for me,_ " he chided Leo, grinning madly. " _You invite me into your house_ and _lead me right to my prey? The worthless prince was actually useful for once!_ "

The blond seethed with narrowed eyes, hands clenching at his sides. "Get off of my sister!"

He pounced, knocking Anankos off the blue-haired girl, and the pendant went flying over the railing and downstairs. Red eyes widened at the sight, and the dragon wrestled against Leo's grasp. There was no way Anankos could let that pendant out of his sight, especially with Leo keeping him in place and Azura free to run down the stairs to find it.

Anankos roared, digging his nails into Leo's arms. " _You are damn lucky I can't kill you,_ " he growled, although he was pleased with the fear swimming in the human's garnet eyes. Even if he was unable to kill him because of Brynhildr's magic, the dragon could still put him out of commission.

Tapping into his power, Anankos fell into a soothing voice. " _You are afraid, aren't you, Leo? You wish you could do something to save your dear Takumi, don't you?_ "

Leo gritted his teeth, grip tightening on Anankos' arms and holding him in place. He wanted to rebut, to argue that he was afraid of nothing and would do anything to protect the people he cared for- but it was true. He was terrified. He feared death. The wounds from the stones pulsated in a dull ache and Anankos' claws digging into his back served as an ever-present reminder that he was all that stood in the way of the dragon and Azura.

He had to protect Azura. He had to bring Takumi back-

But he was afraid.

Although Leo initially resisted, he felt himself falling into darkness the longer he listened to Anankos. The light in his eyes was beginning to fade, and he felt himself overcome with fear and the undeniable feeling of being inadequate. Anankos was right; he was scared and afraid and he was absolutely and utterly _powerless_.

" _Yes, that's right,_ " he lulled, running his thumb against Leo's cheekbone, " _You are a mere child and aren't good enough to do anything to save Azura, Takumi, and even yourself._ "

Leo nodded slowly, his mind in a muddled state of consciousness. "I can't do anything to save them... I'm too scared and powerless and..."

Anankos gently lay Leo on the floor before getting to his feet. " _And you're so so tired, aren't you?_ "

Leo's eyes were already drooping shut. "Yes... I'm scared... and weak and tired..."

Anankos smirked, " _Sweet dreams, my dear prince._ "

He laughed at how simple it all was. All it took was a nominal amount of persuading and his biggest threat was taken care of. With Leo asleep, all he had to worry about was Azura. If she had found the pendant by now, it would certainly save him the trouble, but from the franticness he could sense from downstairs, it was evident that she was unsuccessful.

He glided down the steps, now allowing his uneasiness to show in his movements. Upon reaching the bottom, he allowed the rest of his eyes to open to give him more vision. Countless red orbs blinked into existence from his face and his arms, and the world seemed to burst into life like a sixth sense. With a newfound perspective, he could _feel_ the pendant a few paces away from him, and he strode over to it at the same time the girl did.

In a pitiful attempt to get the pendant before him, Azura dashed towards him and jumped for it. Leaning down, Anankos grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground with ease.

" _Without that necklace of yours, you are just as worthless as the rest of your race_." He snided, smiling at her helplessness.

She grunted, struggling in his grasp and kicking her feet at him. He laughed at her yelps, at how she sounded like a frightened mouse, and he tossed her aside as if she were a plaything. Bending down, he retrieved the pendant and held it up to the lone beam of light in the room, reveling in its simple magnificence.

The dragon smiled grimly. " _Just as beautiful as it was all those years ago_."

He placed it in his hand, ready to crush it into pieces. Finally, he would be freed from his bloodline and not be a prisoner of fate; he would relinquish the fetters of his past and no longer be chained to a destiny he never chose. He could bury his other half and the human, he could forget Ryuurei and Valla, he could regain his dragon form and destroy humanity.

_You are the ocean's gray waves..._

When the dragonstone began to glow a dim blue, Anankos cursed himself. No! How could he have been so stupid to let her go? How could he be so foolish and let her sing? He tried to fix his mistake by tightening his grip on the pendant, by crushing the stone and all of her hopes of bringing her friend back, but the power was beginning to slip through his fingers.

_Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach..._

His entire plan was falling apart... because of his own dragonstone? Because he had been cocky and let that descendant of Ryuurei sing and utilize its powers?

He cursed his folly, his foolishness. He could already feel his other half clawing control away from him. It all seemed so anti-climactic. How could it end like this? _How could it end like this?_ There was no sense in an ending when it ended like _this_.

Anankos grinned in a deranged way, red eyes jubilant. He would be back. He would destroy that dragonstone of his, claim this body for himself, and he would eradicate humanity. He would be back.

Takumi collapsed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of short (especially compared to the last one) so sorry about that. :/ Writer's block hit me hard and I'm still not completely satisfied with this even after rewriting it. I think my writing style is changing for the worse... OTL
> 
> Hopefully I can get another chapter out before break ends but no promises. As always, thanks again for the comments/kudos/bookmarks. Love you all! <3


	14. Antebellum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Super busy between concerts, studying, and cramming. Just took all three of my AP exams this past week, so I'm basically done with school now. Hopefully that means more time spent writing and finishing this fic up. Not sure how much more we've got for Happenstance...

"You know," Takumi began, squinting an eye at the target as he adjusted his grip on his bow. "With how convoluted this all sounds, you're lucky I'm still listening."

Anankos exhaled dejectedly. After the incident with his other half taking over and nearly killing Azura to destroy his dragonstone, Takumi had demanded answers. He knew twelve was a younger age than he had in mind for when he would explain everything to his partner, but the dragon had no choice at this point. He owed the boy explanations, especially after the hell he had put him through.

The dragon huffed, watching the arrow find its mark in the middle of the target. _Your archery has certainly improved since last time,_ he offered offhandedly, half-expecting the boy to snap at him.

Takumi scoffed, drawing another arrow from the quiver over his shoulder. "Are you referring to last week or ' _the first life_ '?"

Anankos did his best to ignore the mockery present in his partner's words. _Last week - you_ were _the undisputed best archer in Hoshido, however._

"Huh, don't really remember that one," he snarked amusedly, scowl on his lips. "Maybe you'll have to give me a refresher, _Anankos_."

The dragon growled in frustration. He knew he had kept Takumi in the dark for all of these years, but the way the boy was treating him now was exasperating. He had been reluctant to tell Takumi of his own past, mostly because Anankos himself did not want to remember it. He had wanted to put his malicious desires behind him, especially when he was beginning to rediscover his love for humanity.

 _Surely there's no need for that,_ he said slyly, as if prompting an argument. If Takumi wanted to argue, there was nothing stopping him.

Takumi seethed and ran a hand through his bangs. There were still cuts on his face, even if they had since become less prominent after the week. As he was practicing his archery, his shirt was thrown off a few paces to his left near his half-empty water bottle. Many cuts littered his arms, but the most obvious scars lay on his legs.

"I'd _hate_ to intrude, Anankos, I really would," he said through gritted teeth, "but when your past and your _existence_ directly concerns me, I believe I have a right to know."

He was right. He was right and Anankos _knew_ that - but that did not make it any bit easier. His draconic half taking control was certainly not his intent, but he had no power over the effects of his degeneration. If Azura had not been able to utilize the power of his dragonstone... Anankos believed it better to not ponder what would have taken place after.

Takumi deserved answers, Anankos knew that. It was his body and his life, and the dragon had no right to hide things from him. After all, Anankos was just some parasite using the boy as a reincarnating vessel to suit his own needs. Of course, that had since changed since their original connection, but entwining their souls had meant binding their futures together.

Takumi prepared another shot, running his finger over the arrowhead absently. He nocked the arrow into the bow, pulling the drawstring back with a grace beyond his years. Archery came natural to him, but when his fingers twitched under the tension of the string and the arrow fell from his grasp, he knew he still had much to learn and perfect.

Bending down to retrieve the arrow, he sighed. "You're not going to answer me? That's a shame - you always seemed like a talkative one."

 _I was thinking,_ he replied lamely, and Takumi's snort was what ripped him from his musings. Anankos chuckled after a beat of silence, perhaps only realizing now just how foolish this entire ordeal was. It was laughable; this could easily be solved by him just _talking_ to Takumi.

The dragon sighed, peering through Takumi's eyes as the boy loosed another arrow, a smile tugging at his lips as it struck the center. _Truthfully, I thought you would be better off not knowing your past._

" _What?_ " Takumi lowered his arms slowly, his bow held limply at his side. The suddenness of the statement was what shocked him; the latent content of Anankos' words is what registered in its wake.

The dragon made a sound akin to clicking his tongue. _You've seen glimpses of your memories - they aren't the most pleasant of sights._

The boy drew his eyebrows and a frown tugged at his mouth. He could remember bits and pieces of his life as a prince in Hoshido, but the most prevalent memories were those of the time surrounding his death. It gave him shivers to think about those hazy sights of falling and being dragged along like a puppet before being struck down. He held some hope, especially when there were glimpses of sneaking away from parties with Sakura, or riding a pegasus with Hinoka, or winning matches of _shogi_ with Ryoma.

The lack of Kamui, Mikoto, and Sumeragi caused something in his heart to twist, but he shut his eyes, as if that would dispel the memories, or the lack thereof.

"I still have a right to know," he said in more of a whimper, his tone not holding the conviction it had beforehand. He sounded weak. For how acutely important this topic was to him, his disposition was pitiful.

Anankos hummed, mentally willing the boy to take a break from his archery and to sit down. Takumi did just that, and it was only once he crossed his legs that he realized just how exhausted he was. How long had he been out here practicing? His arms ached and his legs had nearly buckled under him when he sat.

Takumi raised an eyebrow expectantly, and Anankos took that as his signal to begin.

 _If it isn't obvious, I was once a dragon,_ he stated, as if testing the waters. _I'm certain you know that - we've been together long enough for you to piece that together._

The boy crossed his arms, shutting his eyes, and let out a discontented huff. "I don't need a recap on the basics..."

Anankos frowned. _Didn't you want to know everything?_

"Well, yes, but-" Takumi stopped himself, face flushing red. "J-just keep going."

The dragon let out a terribly concealed snigger, which his partner scolded him for, and proceeded to continue. _As I was saying, I was a dragon, but I was very close with the humans at the time. I was especially good friends with the king of Valla, a kind man named Ryuurei, and we-_

"Ryuurei?" Takumi interjected. "That's the alias you gave me when you introduced yourself."

 _It is,_ he hummed, thinking back on silky blue hair and kind gold eyes, _But I am far undeserving of using his name. I fear I have tainted it._

The boy pouted. "Surely you haven't! Of course, I never knew Ryuurei so I can't really say, but certainly you took his name for good reason."

Anankos let out a longing sigh. _The first time I took his name, it was because I had amnesia and thought it was my own..._

"The first time?"

 _The second time was when I introduced myself to you,_ he explained, _I feared you would say my name and I would be found out. I would hate for something to happen to you just because we share a body._

There was a silence as Takumi processed everything the dragon said. There was certainly a deeper meaning to some of the things Anankos said but it was still information the boy had not had prior. It was frightening to know that he had been kept in the dark for so many years, but it was consoling to know the dragon had his best interest in mind. However, it was still disquieting; would people truly pursue him if they knew about Anankos?

Takumi bit his lip, a nervous tic he had been called out for by Anankos on countless occasions. "Is there a reason people would be after you, even after all this time?"

It was evident that the dragon had a violent streak. The amount of times Takumi would wake up and have his hands wrapped around a person's throat was far too frequent for his sanity. He knew Ryuurei - or rather, Anankos - had good intentions and loved humanity, but his draconic instincts were too reoccurring to ignore. There was the solace, however, that he could rely on Azura's pendant and song to pacify the beast.

 _You know my blood and instincts are not as controllable as I would like them to be,_ he admitted with a sigh. _We're lucky Ryuurei's pendant was passed down and is in good hands._

Takumi nodded in agreement. If it weren't for Azura and her song, Anankos' draconic rage would probably still be controlling him. The thought of it brought him back to his original inquiry.

"And what about me?" He asked. "What exactly happened before we became connected?"

The dragon winced. _Before we became connected?_

Takumi raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, when I was just Prince Takumi and you were the Silent Dragon."

Anankos took in a slow breath. _When you were alive, I was predominantly my dragon self... meaning I was not in my right mind and did terrible things. I cannot fully excuse my behavior but please keep that in mind before I tell you._

"Is.. is what you did truly that terrible?" Takumi could feel the hairs rise on the back of his neck. Surely it couldn't be _that_ bad...!

_I caused the war between Hoshido and Nohr, possessed King Garon, stole Kamui from your family, killed both of your parents, and tortured you until you committed suicide so I could use your body._

Takumi nearly fainted. Receiving such a large information drop with very little warning made his head spin. He wanted to cry, to scream and yell at Anankos for doing such terrible things, but he needed to ground himself and realize Anankos was just as powerless in his actions. He could blame the gods for such cruel fates, but he would just be wasting his breath.

His breath hitched in his throat. "I-It isn't your fault," he said after a silence, "I know you c-can't control yourself when you get like that..."

Anankos was surprised. He had expected his partner to blame him for everything and never want to talk to him again. Why was Takumi so understanding? He had ruined the boy's life countless times and only caused him hardship after hardship.

 _You can be honest with me, Taki,_ Anankos goaded, feeling terribly guilty over everything. _You don't have to pretend that everything I did was justified. You have a right to be angry with me-_

"How _can_ I be when I know you care for me and didn't mean any of it?" Takumi rebutted with a yell. "You can't control yourself when you get like that. As long as we have Azura sing for you, we can prevent it from happening ever again. What you did is in the past and can't be changed. However, we can still find a way to make your future - no, _our_ future - better."

It was Anankos' turn to be left speechless. The last time somebody had put so much faith in him... Anankos had let them down and ruined everything. He couldn't let that happen again - if his partner had put hope in him, he would have to prove that he was worth the effort.

 _... You're right._ He admitted with resignation. _You're always right..._

Takumi felt his confidence leave him, only to be replaced with a sense of sheepishness. "N-not always, but just this once" - he crossed his arms with a huff - "You better not prove me wrong, Anankos!"

The dragon smiled bittersweetly. He would do his _damnedest_ to keep his promise.

Anankos perked up, noticing the sun nearing the horizon. Speaking about promises...

 _Aren't you supposed to be meeting Azura by the lake around now?_ He asked playfully, causing Takumi to scramble to his feet and begin to gather his belongings.

"I don't need a r-reminder!" He huffed in poorly-hidden embarrassment, pulling his shirt over his head and shoving his archery paraphernalia into a drawsting bag. He threw the bag over his shoulders and fixed his hair before running towards the lakeside, muttering something to his partner about not needing help.

After a five or so minute jog, he arrived at the lake and placed his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. He panted, wiping sweat from his brow, and gave Azura a greeting (and an apology) between breaths.

"You didn't need to run here, Takumi," she said with concern, offering him a water bottle. He declined and retrieved his own half-full one, chugging it until it was empty and he was hiccuping.

She giggled at his hiccups, and he turned away in embarrassment. The red tips of his ears gave his blush away, but Azura resigned to giving him some peace of mind by not pointing it out. Instead, she decided to bring up her real concern.

"Um, about what happened last week..."

She was talking about the situation with Anankos' draconic side taking complete control and nearly killing her, Takumi realized. Anankos kept quiet, something the boy took notice of with gratitude.

"What about it?" He replied cautiously. He had already apologized fervently and explained everything to Azura - what was she planning on asking him about?

She clicked her tongue and frowned. "Leo has been beating himself up over it. He thinks it's his fault that he couldn't stop you and that he failed at protecting me."

"O-oh." It tumbled out of his mouth before he could think about it. He had tried to talk to the blond for the entire week but Leo seemed to be avoiding him after the incident. Takumi was convinced that it was something he did, and he certainly did not blame Leo for what happened. It was surprising to him to think that Leo had been avoiding him because he felt guilty about not being able to do anything.

Takumi cleared his throat. "Is that why he's been avoiding me?"

Azura turned her gaze up to the sky, the pink hues reflecting into her golden eyes. "That's what I'm thinking. I know it's not your fault either, but I think it would be best if you talked with him."

He hummed with a nod. He would need to talk to Leo and figure out exactly what was going through his head. The blond had no reason to blame himself and Takumi had every intention to clarify that.

Anankos interrupted his partner's thoughts. _If it's anybody's fault, it's mine. He should be allowed to take his anger out on me and not lash out at you._

'And how would lashing out on you be different from lashing out on me?' Takumi countered in his mind so that Azura wouldn't hear. 'It's just like you said: we share a body. That means we share responsibility for what happened.'

Anankos was about to rebut but Azura spoke. "He isn't mad at you, but rather at himself. As long as you can convince him that it isn't his fault, I think things with begin to work themselves out."

Takumi smiled, happy that Anankos was not given the opportunity to argue. "Oh, don't worry about that. I'm pretty good at changing people's minds."

The dragon growled at the obvious jab, but Takumi laughed playfully. Azura smiled too, grateful that Takumi would talk to her brother and hopefully bring him back to his normal self. Things were looking up and Takumi couldn't keep the smile off his face.

The sun set, taking its brilliant colors with it.


	15. Gravity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the late update. Took the SAT today so I'm kind of surprised I was up for more writing.
> 
> Anyways, we get a chapter that actually advances the plot! The first portion is Leo's memory of the first life (i.e. Conquest route); note: the Nohrian family calls Kamui _Corrin_. 
> 
> Comments are appreciated! <3

_Life sprouted from his fingertips, dark wisps flying away from him and towards his target. Watching the reanimated corpse of a man he hardly knew was a strange feeling - stranger than the unusual coldness of the tome in his clutches. Certainly he was not this deranged when he was alive?_

_Leo averted his eyes, away from the corpse and towards the blood-stained floor of his late father's throne room. How painstakingly cruel; Corrin had just slain their father and here he was, slaughtering her brother because she did not have the heart to. Was it because she was merciful? Or was it that she actually cared for her Hoshidan family?_

_He clenched his fist and the purple flames died in his palm. Of course_ Father _meant nothing to her. He had only locked her away and treated her less than human for her entire life. He had killed her father and stolen her away from her home, why would she_ ever _hesitate in killing him? Was it for revenge?_ Father _had ruined her life and never showed her an_ iota _of the kindness a father should provide for a child._

 _Leo narrowed his eyes, lips pulled into a thin line._ Father _hardly cared for his_ own _children. What would make him care for a child stolen from their enemy nation?_

_He felt a hand on his shoulder and was pulled back into reality._

_"I believe it is best to step away, brother," Xander advised with a light squeeze. "Corrin needs some space."_

_Leo nodded, tearing his eyes from the corpse. He knew Corrin never had the chance to properly mourn those lost along the way. There were too many casualties to count, and she had yet to mourn any of them._

_He walked alongside Xander towards where Camilla stood and did his best to ignore his sister's cries as she embraced the body that was once the second prince of Hoshido. He kept his gaze low out of respect, but every now and then, he would steal a quick glance and see her clinging to the bloody carcass._

_Distantly, Leo wondered that, if things had gone differently and Corrin had left them for Hoshido, would she care for his family like she cared for theirs? If he was the lifeless body in the throne room, would she cling to him and cry in anguish?_

_He brushed the thought aside. Of course she would; Corrin was kindhearted and mourned for strangers. She had been his sister for nearly her entire life - even if they did not have the same blood coursing through their veins, they were siblings._

_Yet, the thought still irked him. She had barely known Prince Takumi and had only recently discovered that he was her brother. The archer had scorned her, blamed her, and had treated her with nothing but contempt. He hated her. Why would she mourn the loss of somebody like that?_

_Corrin's cries had stopped but her body still shook with tremors. She was coated in blood - her blood,_ his _blood - and but kept herself pulled close to her brother. Leo glanced towards his own brother, and Xander had his stern gaze on the girl. Perhaps his brother was thinking the same thing._

 _Elise, seeming to appear from nowhere, was clinging to his arm. Every now and then, she would look towards their sister and then tear her eyes away. Leo put an arm around her, as if to shield her from the sight. Elise was young,_ too young _for the war and the bloodshed and the death. They were_ all _too young for this._

_With his other hand, he tightened his grip on Brynhildr. He squeezed his eyes shut and, although Leo was not religious, he sent a prayer to the Dusk Dragon. For peace. For a better life._

_He was the wielder of the tome of life; bitterly, he wondered why it had only brought death_.

Leo blinked, falling a step or two back. Where was he? How did he get here? He looked around but the room was dimly lit with candles hung on the walls. Wherever he was, it seemed quaint and, for his lack of a better word, right out of a fantasy novel.

His eyes caught an object on the table before him. A book?

Without even realizing it, his arm was outstretched and reaching for the object. Upon noticing, he stopped himself and brought himself closer to the table to inspect it. It was indeed a book, and Leo felt the oddest sense of deja vu; he had never seen this book before nor held it, but he could envision the design on the cover and the smooth texture of the spine.

His mind replayed his encounter with Anankos when he stayed the night at the Shirasagi household. He and Mikoto had planned to provoke the dragon and get answers but the night had merely become a game of _how many times could Anankos strangle Leo_. However, the dragon was unable to kill him because something was protecting him.

The answer felt beyond his reach, as if the thought lay right before his consciousness. There was a name on the tip of his tongue and he narrowed his eyes in frustration. It was obviously the book in front of him, he had enough common sense to realize that, but the name was alluding him.

Leo reached for the book again; perhaps if he were to read some of it, the memories would return to him. The name of the book _had_ to be one of the memories he retained from the first life.

Something - or rather, _someone_ \- collided with him and he was knocked to the ground, his vision blurring at the edges on impact. "What...?" He began dazedly, but a sharp pain forming on the side of his head halted his words. He tried to bring his head up to get a glimpse at his attacker but found himself unable to perform the simple task. He was fighting to keep his eyes open and he knew he was close to losing consciousness.

"Children like you should not involve themselves in matters bigger than they can perceive," the silhouette stated. The voice was hard to distinguish in Leo's half-conscious state, but for some reason, it sounded _familiar_.

"I _do_ have to thank you for leading me here, however," they stated amusedly. "Without you, I would have never found the tome."

From his position on the ground, it was difficult to see, but Leo knew that the person was taking the book. He tried to push himself up, the rocky floor digging into his palms, but his body failed him and he collapsed.

"No!" He whimpered, his cry sounding weak and almost pathetic. "You can't... That's _mine_!"

The footsteps stopped and the person sneered. "A weakling like _you_ would never deserve this tome."

Leo wanted to refute, to rip the tome that was so rightfully _his_ from the thief's hands, but all he could do was bite his tongue. He was unarmed, about to fall into unconsciousness, and completely and utterly _powerless_.

Although his back was to the exit, he knew the person had left.

* * *

Takumi shut his eyes with a sigh. He knew this was _well_ overdue, but his family was keeping him under constant watch. He knew it was warranted, especially after what had happened last week at the Windmire's house, but the feeling of always being watched was unsettling, to say the least.

"Don't think of it as a punishment, Takumi," smiled Hinoka, putting an arm around him and pulling him into a side hug. " _Ka-san_ and _Tou-san_ are just worried for you - and there's nothing wrong with spending time with family."

He leaned into her hug, appreciating her sentiment. "I know," he admitted, "I take you guys for granted and all I do is start arguments and storm out of the house because I'm too stubborn for my own good."

His sister gave him a light punch with her free hand. "Don't say things like that about yourself. Being negative won't get you anywhere and you know that."

"Hinoka- _nee_ , I'm saying that because it's _true_." He was ready to be reprimanded once again, but his sister held her tongue. "I appreciate you being supportive but you don't have to lie and pretend I'm not a terrible person. All I've done is cause our family trouble and I should just leave-"

He reeled from the slap on the face she gave him.

"Takumi, are you even _listening_ to yourself?" She hissed, and without even seeing her face, he knew she was probably fuming. "You can't always put yourself down and say those things. _Please_ , learn how to not blame yourself for everything."

He cupped his hand on his cheek to mask the growing pain. He wanted to listen to his sister's advice and take it to heart, but he had the inability to do so; knowing the things he and Anankos had done clawed at him and he felt like he was drowning in an endless pit of guilt. He kept his gaze downcast and away from hers with the realization that he would crack under pressure if he made eye contact.

Hinoka let out a heavy sigh. "Just... Just stop talking like that, alright? You worry us more with stuff like that."

He gave a slight nod to acknowledge that he had heard her. Conversation had lost its appeal and he could convey what he needed to in a small tilt of his head.

She stood up and put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "I have to get ready for work so I'll get Sakura. Don't give her any trouble, you hear me?"

"Yeah," he spat, amber eyes still fixated on the wooden patio at his feet. There was resentment in his tone, but he knew it would eventually pass. He wasn't mad at Hinoka nor was he about to take out his anger on Sakura; it was a fleeting feeling of his own self-loathing and he wished he had more control over the effect it had on him.

Hinoka opened the backdoor and headed back into the house, presumably to get their younger sister. Takumi sighed and ran his fingers through his bangs, thoroughly off put by the fact that his parents thought he needed a babysitter. He was twelve - he wasn't a _baby_.

"Is this really necessary?" He huffed, crossing his arms and pulling his knees to his chest.

_Well, seeing as you've nearly killed two of your friends, I would say yes-_

"I didn't ask you."

Anankos had been eerily silent for the past few days but his snarky remark was not appreciated by the boy. He had just found the situation ironic; for years, the dragon had inquired Takumi about a lack of supervision, but now that it was in place, Anankos had less down time to strike up conversation.

Glancing over to the door and taking note that Sakura hadn't arrived yet, Takumi voiced his question. "Where have you been, anyways?"

There was a brief pause, as if the dragon was thinking. _I thought you would appreciate the time to yourself._

The boy scoffed. Anankos was confined to his mind but there were still many things he could do; there had to be more to it. "That can't be all of it."

 _I had my own thoughts to sort out_.

Takumi noticed the hesitation in his partner but did not draw attention to it. "What were you thinking about, then?" He asked with genuine interest. "I don't exactly have the luxury of reading your mind like you can mine."

 _It's better off that way_ , he replied with slight ambivalence. _You may see it as unfair but, trust me, you do not need the burden of my thoughts._

The burden of his thoughts? Takumi began to formulate his response but was interrupted by the opening of the screen door behind him.

"I know you d-don't like this, Takumi- _nii_ ," Sakura's meek voice had taken a note of conviction, "but _Ka-chan_ and _Tou-chan_ are worried about you."

Takumi bit his lip in frustration as he felt Anankos fade back into his subconscious. It looks like he would have to wait to get his answer.

Taking a deep breath, he expelled his anger so he wouldn't take it out on his sister. "They're right, though... I think it's better that I'm watched so that I don't hurt anyone else."

Takumi wasn't sure if he had fully convinced himself of the fact. He knew it was safer this way, for him and for everyone around him, but being under constant supervision and never having time alone was unnerving. He was under his family's watchful eye and Anankos was either avoiding him or running circles around him.

He glanced towards the clear blue sky. It was a Saturday afternoon and the April sun was beating down heavily on the two of them. Ryoma was out of town for a scholar athlete conference, Hinoka had just left for her part-time job at the local convenience store, Kamui was at a friend's house, and both of their parents were at work, leaving just the two of them.

His thoughts wandered to Leo and Azura. He hadn't talked to Leo since the incident and it had been a few days since he had watched the sunset with Azura and promised her that he would talk to her brother. Was Leo wracking himself with unwarranted guilt? Was Azura waiting for him by the lake every night?

" _Nii-san_ , what's wrong?" Sakura asked, her concern getting the better of her. "You h-haven't said a word and you look r-really sad..."

"I'm fine," he forced out, scaring the ten year-old. Noticing her flinch, he mentally reprimanded himself for lashing out at her and recomposed himself. "I just... have a lot on my mind."

She nodded respectfully but stood her ground. Takumi knew that, despite her quiet demeanor, Sakura was resilient and would be persistent if it meant showing that she cared. Luckily, when he kept silent, she took the hint and did the same, a small notion that he appreciated greatly with the thoughts bustling in his mind.

His thoughts were a roundabout path that continuously led back to Leo.

Takumi had a dire need to talk to him; he would never be able to forgive himself if Leo was wallowing in guilt for something he had no responsibility for. However, the difficult part would be _getting_ to Leo, especially when someone would always be watching him.

A pain began to build behind his eyes. The stress of the entire situation was giving him a headache - _exactly_ what he needed right now. He rubbed his temples with an exhale.

"Sakura, do you mind if I go lay down? I have a bad headache and I'll probably end up taking a nap."

She nodded reluctantly before realizing the implication and lecturing him as if he were younger than her. "Lay down b-but that's it! Don't sneak out and get yourself in t-trouble again..."

He stood up, the motion making him a little dizzy, but he ruffled Sakura's hair in a caring gesture nonetheless. "Don't worry about me," he smiled, purposely not promising her anything. He hated lying to her, but this was necessary; he could make it up to her later.

He hurried into the house but waited long enough to hold the door open for her. It was the least he could do if he was about to do something that would possibly get both of them in trouble. He would hate for her to get punished for taking her eyes off him, but he needed to sneak out.

Upon arriving to his bedroom, he shut the door behind him with his back and slid down until he was sitting. It was a relief to not be watched, but his peace was being thwarted as his head was still throbbing.

He brought his voice down to a whisper. "This is your doing, isn't it?"

If Anankos had a body, he would have shrugged. _You seemed like you wanted to talk._

He stifled a laugh. "Wow, it's almost as if you could read my mind, or something."


	16. Pragmatic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today was my last day of school so I'm finally free. This chapter escalates rather quickly so I guess there's action in store in the next few.
> 
> Quick note: Anankos can detect emotions from quite some distance. I described it as him _stretching his consciousness_ but basically he can read emotions.

"Was it really necessary to _jump out the window_?" Takumi rubbed at the arm that he fell on and winced at the sharp pain that ran through him. Anankos kept quiet as a response and his partner nearly cried out in frustration.

Takumi's eye twitched and he grabbed his injured arm with his good hand, biting back a yelp. "Why couldn't _you_ be the one to feel this? _Can_ you even feel this?"

The dragon sighed. _In hindsight, it was a bad idea, but how else were we going to get out?_

Takumi halted his steps and seemed visually aggravated as his voice raised into a yell. "Oh, I don't know - _the front door_?"

When he didn't receive a response, the boy continued his tirade. "For being an ancient dragon, you sure have no common sense... what kind of dragon even _are_ you?"

 _Technically I haven't had my dragon form for hundreds of years,_ " he rebutted lamely, _nor did I put much thought into how weak your body is._

"Hmph," his partner responded, crossing his arms out of habit and letting out a quiet 'ow' at the pain it caused him. Anankos stifled a laugh, causing Takumi to flush in embarrassment.

"You know what...!"

 _Ah, no need to huff, Taki,_ he soothed, _There's no need for us to argue. We're stuck together and I'm the one person you can't storm out of a room from and avoid._

Takumi bit his tongue at the allusion to his conversation with Hinoka, prohibiting himself from lashing out at Anankos about wanting privacy. He twitched before taking a deep breath and composing himself. He'd have to work on his temper, especially if there would always be somebody watching and undermining his every move.

He sighed. "You're right. We've gotta work together," he then smirked deviously, "And it wouldn't hurt for you to have common sense and not think jumping out the window is the best escape plan."

_... Can we put that behind us?_

Takumi snickered. "You sure don't act like a dragon."

Anankos was about to rebut until he put some thought into it. He hadn't always acted so... _human_. He could remember being a lot more carefree in his time with Ryuurei and the people of Valla, but once his degeneration began to eat away at him, he had changed. He had become the dragon that possessed innocent humans and pitted them against one another for his own amusement.

However, with Azura's song and his dragonstone, his draconic instincts had been repressed. He had returned to his more _human_ personality - for _now_ , at least. He could rely on Azura as Ryuurei's descendant to bring him back to normal.

 _But without my draconic half, am I even a dragon?_ He asked rhetorically, half-expecting an answer from his partner. He had a feeling that Takumi hadn't fully grasped the concept of his dichotomy, but his curiosity was getting the best of him.

"... I'd say so," Takumi answered after a few moments, deciding to continue walking instead of wasting time standing around. "You may act like a human but that doesn't mean you _are_ one."

Anankos lay back as his partner trekked towards the Windmire house, absorbing the words. A lion wearing sheep's clothing was still a lion, so why would he be any different? He was a dragon sharing a body with a human, degeneration or not. His dragon half would eventually claw its way back and nothing would be different.

Takumi kept his head up, the afternoon sky bright above him. He'd have to apologize to Sakura when he got home; she had censured him and he had still run away from home. And to what, talk with Leo? It never dawned on the boy that Leo might not want him and this expedition could be for naught.

And what exactly was he going to say to Leo, anyways? That what happened last week wasn't his fault? Takumi nearly groaned in frustration at the idea. He should have put some thought into what he was going to say instead of planning to wing it. Maybe running away from home to converse with the blond wasn't the brightest idea.

Anankos perked up, feeling a burst of emotions from over the hill. By extending the reach of his conscious, he could deduce that they were close to the house and that there were multiple people currently there. He could distinguish a feeling of guilt mingled with anger - that was unmistakably Leo. Another was a bubbly happiness, which must have been Elise. Absentmindedly, he picked apart the hubbub of emotion and assigned them to each resident except for one.

He hesitated, the final person's emotions becoming murky the longer he focused on it. For the first time in a notable amount of time, he was unable to decipher the feeling. It was almost as if the person was immune to the dragon's mental prodding. Anankos shied away from the person's mind, withdrawing his conscious back to Takumi in a dulled shock.

"Anankos?" He asked, his voice tinged with concern. He had felt a chill run through his body, a weird phenomenon he couldn't place his finger on but knew was undoubtedly because of his partner. "What's wrong?"

Anankos seemed to push against Takumi's prodding. _It's nothing._

Takumi nearly dug his fingernails into his palm. "I thought we agreed that we weren't keeping things from each other! Why does everything have to be a secret when it comes to telling me?"

Taking the lack of a response as a sign to keep going, he continued. "You said it yourself: we share a body - _my_ body, mind you - and we're stuck together. Not telling me only hurts us, you know that!"

Takumi huffed, narrowing his eyes at the grass at his feet. Anankos, even though he promised Takumi they would be transparent with one another, continually kept things from him. Trust is a two-way street, so why would the dragon keep his partner in the dark constantly?

Anankos sighed. _I have the ability to read emotions and manipulate them if I wish. Even the strongest of men are susceptible to this._

He contemplated his words before continuing. _However, this is the first time in many lifetimes that I am unable to read someone's._

"Does that worry you?" Takumi inquired, anger sizzling down. He already knew the answer, but he felt it was a comfortable transition in their conversation. What concerned him the most was _who_ Anankos was incapable of reading.

 _Of course; it is an abnormality._ He forfeited the _it worries me_ , but the message was still clear.

Upon reaching the top of the hill and the house, Takumi swallowed past the lump in his throat. There was no need to be nervous, he'd just ask if he could talk to Leo. Hopefully it would be him or Azura that answered the door.

He made his way up the steps and knocked on the door. Nervousness clawed at his insides but he blinked it away. All he had to do was ask to talk to Leo; maybe Leo would be the one to answer and he wouldn't have to worry about asking. There was no need to be nervous-

"Do you need something, boy?" Garon Windmire's baritone snapped him out of his thoughts, leaving him in a dazed stupor of _when did the door open_ and _how long had Garon been standing there_.

"U-um," he stuttered, eyes moving anywhere besides Garon's gaze, "could I talk to Leo?"

Garon stared at the boy, hardened gaze piercing him. Takumi assumed it was because he had nearly killed Leo and Azura the last time he was over, which was a fair reason to be skeptical of inviting him inside. Anankos shied away as well, the man's eyes seeming to look past Takumi and into him.

The man parted from the doorway, leaving space for Takumi to enter. "Very well."

Takumi, although wary as to how he was allowed in scot-free, was taken aback when Garon grabbed his collar and pulled him close. "If you _dare_ lay a finger on him, I will personally make sure you never come near this house again."

The boy winced, Garon's voice a whisper but holding the weight of a threat. When he nodded out of pressure, the man let him go and Takumi nearly ran up the stairs towards Leo's room.

Upon reaching the landing, he turned to find the door shut. With tentative steps, Takumi approached the room and knocked.

"Yes?" Leo's voice was quiet on the other side of the door, almost like he had just woken up. Takumi, of course, doubted that was the case, but it was odd that the blond's voice was akin to a murmur.

"Hey, Leo," he began tentatively. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything... I was wondering if, um, we could talk...?"

When he was met with silence, Takumi silently cursed himself. Was this really the right decision? He knew Azura was right when she said that he should be the one to confront her brother, but maybe he should have waited for Leo to come to terms with it himself. Leo's mind was both his greatest asset and his greatest weakness; he would probably beat himself up over what happened endlessly if Takumi failed to talk with him.

The door opened abruptly. Leo looked like he had seen better days, especially with the dark bags under his eyes and how pale his skin was. His clothes were wrinkled, as if they had been left on for countless days, and his hair was unkempt.

"Did you not hear what I said?" Leo asked, causing Takumi to blink in response. Did he zone out while staring at Leo?

He let out a nervous laugh. "No, I guess I didn't."

The blond sighed, turning his back and making his way to sit on the foot of his bed. Takumi followed, taking a seat in the chair at Leo's desk.

Takumi noticed how Leo continuously avoided making eye contact, pretending to look around his room and have some mundane object catch his fancy. He had a nagging feeling that his presence wasn't appreciated in the slightest and his friend wanted to be left alone.

"So..." He began awkwardly, hating how Leo continued to not look at him, "about what happened last week."

Leo froze, as if just the mention of the event rooted him in place. Silently grateful that the boy had actually acknowledged him, Takumi felt more confident as he continued.

"I hope you don't think it's your fault. If anything, I should be the one taking the blame-"

"And why would it be _your_ fault?" Leo rebutted with renewed vigor, eyes hidden behind his bangs. Takumi nearly fell back in his seat at how sudden the interjection was. "I was the one who couldn't stop him. He did away with me like I was merely a stepping stone and he nearly killed Azura because of it!"

Takumi was about to respond before Leo cut him off. "And before you even begin to blame yourself, it's not your fault that you're sharing a body with that _thing_. I only have myself to blame for being so powerless in stopping it."

Leo took in a deep breath and sighed. "For being a prince with magical prowess in my past life, I can only wonder what went wrong this time around."

Takumi's words caught in his throat. Leo was a logical thinker and believed in facts; it failed to matter to the boy that there were other factors that played into the situation. In Leo's mind, it made perfect sense that Anankos brushing him aside and isolating Azura was a direct result of him not being strong enough to oppose the dragon. The once-mage also had a point about Takumi's unwilling connection to Anankos.

But if there was one thing Takumi prided himself on, it was arguing with Leo to prove him wrong.

"Look, it's in the past and it doesn't matter now. Azura is able to keep me _me_ with her song and we don't need to worry about things like this happening again. There's no point in you beating yourself up over this - I was just as powerless. If I was strong enough to hold him back, it wouldn't have happened in the first place."

Takumi decided to ignore Leo silently observing the scars on his legs from Anankos' trap. "And don't compare yourself to your past life. Everything is different now. We're not princes and we're not using divine weapons to fight a war."

"Even so," Leo muttered, "does that mean I should be worthless? I may not be a failure of a prince, but I'm still a failure of a _person_."

Takumi, in a frustrated haste, found himself echoing the words Hinoka had told him earlier. "Stop saying things like that to yourself! All you're going to do is put yourself down and end up a husk of yourself!"

Distantly, he recalled defeat after defeat, red eyes taunting him, and darkness eating away at him.

He shook his head, banishing the thoughts. " _Please_ , learn how to not blame yourself for everything."

The _don't make the same mistake I did_ was left unspoken.

Takumi only realized how loud he had gotten once he stopped talking. The room was silent. Leo's gaze was downcast, fists tightening and untightening, and Takumi nearly mumbled an apology and left.

Leo's voice was quiet when he spoke. "For once, you're actually right."

And even though Leo had acknowledged him, Takumi couldn't find satisfaction in the notion. Leo sounded broken, defeated. There was no amusement in his garnet eyes, no know-it-all smirk that had become a staple for him.

The thought only struck Takumi now. Had something else happened? Leo may have accepted what had happened with Anankos, but was there something still burdening his thoughts?

Takumi got out of the chair and took a knee on the carpet, lowering himself so he could make eye contact with Leo. A drive of determination flared within him, prodding him to get answers. "Something else is wrong and you better tell me what it is."

Leo seemed eager to spit out an excuse, parting his lips. However, before he spoke, he closed his mouth, as if reconsidering his decision. He furrowed his brow in thought until he finally responded.

"I lost Brynhildr."

Of all the things Takumi expected to hear, _that_ was certainly not one of them. Questions about how Leo found it in the first place came to mind, but he had no time to voice them before his thoughts were cut off.

"It was weird," he explained, "I woke up in this strange room and felt... something _tugging_ at me. Like something was calling out to me and begging me to find it.

"It was Brynhildr." Leo seemed to wince, as if just recalling the memory brought him pain. "But before I could claim it, someone shoved me to the ground and took it for themself."

Takumi tried to ignore the fear that enveloped Anankos. "D-do you know who it was?"

Leo shook his head, eyes void of any mirth. "No, I couldn't tell from the angle I was at on the ground. I was on the edge of consciousness and everything was blurry and fading in and out."

He clutched his chest, close to where his heart was. "After losing Brynhildr, I've felt this constant pain in my chest. It's calling to me. It's scared and alone and I _can't do anything about it_...!"

The words hung in the air, Leo too upset to continue and Takumi too overwhelmed to even know where to begin. Brynhildr was stolen. The divine tome was in the wrong hands and it was taking a constant toll on Leo.

Takumi felt his heart drop into his stomach. Where were the other divine weapons? Was this person collecting them to abuse their power?

Those weapons could bring about death, conquest - _world domination_ , if the wielder so desired.

Memories of the first life flashed before his eyes. Was there going to be another war?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HMMM. I wonder what will happen next.
> 
> Thanks for sticking with the fic so far. Updates have been spotty and I didn't have a clear endgame in mind until now.


	17. Alight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long! I've either been busy or I had no motivation to write. This chapter was hard to plot out and even harder to write, so I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> Note: there's a four year time skip between this chapter and the last chapter.

_He was going to die._

_He wanted to cry out, to insult the person, to_ do anything _, but the sound died on his lips. The hands were tight against his throat and he could hardly take in any air. He was being strangled; he would run out of oxygen soon and that would be the end._

 _His body was searing with pain and he let out ragged gasps, lungs burning for air. He was going to die. Strangled to death, held by his throat with feet barely touching the ground,_ he was going to die _._

_The person suffocating him said something, but with his ears ringing, he couldn't make the sound out. It was probably something about giving up, to stop resisting, and for a moment, he considered it._

_Fingers dug deeper into his neck and he let out a gasp, feeling a sensation not too different from drowning. This was it. He was going to die. He was going to die, and just when he had finally gotten it back._

_The edges of his vision darkened, a feeling of weightlessness overtook him, and-_

Takumi bolted upright with a scream, hands flying to his neck. He was on the floor of his bedroom, tangled in a mess of blankets after he must have fallen off of his bed. Sweat ran down his forehead and he panted, shutting his eyes.

It was just a nightmare. He wasn't dying; it was just a nightmare.

He steadied his breathing, the dream already fading from his mind, leaving a lingering feeling of terror. Silently, he chastised himself for allowing himself to be scared by it. He was sixteen now and still shaken by the machinations of his own mind as if he were still a seven year old scared of his own shadow. He sighed and ran his hand through his bangs.

Four years had passed with little to no interruptions. He and Leo had been unable to track down Brynhildr with the latter's bond with the tome weakening as time went on. To make matters worse, the thief covered their tracks, leaving no clues to their whereabouts. The boys had been forced to put their hunt for the divine weapon on hold and could only hope that the thief had yet to do anything malicious with it.

Takumi rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and got to his feet. Azura had done her best to comfort the two, especially her brother with his weak state following the loss of Brynhildr. Leo had recovered for the most part; he was left with a dull, almost unnoticeable pain that always stung in his chest. It was unmistakable that Brynhildr was part of his soul and the absence of it would leave its toll on the blond, no matter how much Azura sang for him.

He reached behind his head to gather his hair into a ponytail and his hand closed on air. Right. He had cut it earlier this week without truly thinking about it in his rage. He had been made fun of for his long hair at school, called vulgar names that he would rather not repeat, and even bullied for it. Before he had truly realized what he was doing, half of his hair was pooled around his feet and he reluctantly cut the rest so it would be symmetrical. Now, it ended slightly past his ears and the back of his neck felt odd without the familiar weight against it.

He made his way to the bathroom, doing his best to block out the image of his hair clumped on the floor, and went through his morning routine. Looking at his face in the mirror, he couldn't help but notice how obvious his lack of sleep was getting. The bags under his eyes were becoming more evident, his skin was paler than usual, and he almost looked sickly. He hadn't had nightmares in years, but they had started again regularly a few days ago, leaving him looking like a walking corpse.

Running the tap, he splashed water onto his face before wiping it off with a nearby towel. Luckily, it was Saturday and he didn't need to worry about school. Instead, he was spending his day with Hinata and Oboro; all he had to do was not draw attention to himself and he would be able to play off his sleep deprivation. As much as he loved the two, they could be overbearing at times, especially when it came to his health. Despite that, he enjoyed their friendship and appreciated their concern.

He took a quick shower, humming the melody of a generic pop song he had heard on the radio. He put on shorts and pulled a baggy sweatshirt over his head, running his hands through his hair until it was dry. He headed back to his room and grabbed his phone, skimming over the texts in the group chat he had with Hinata and Oboro. It was a little after ten in the morning and they had plans in less than an hour, so he still had some free time on his hands.

 _You're worried about something._ Anankos' statement had appeared in his mind not too different from an intrusive thought. In hindsight, the dragon's input had never been far from that.

Takumi pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "Is it really that obvious?" He knew he would receive some answer about sharing a body and reading thoughts, but it felt normal to ask anyways.

Anankos huffed. _To me, of course it is. However, if those friends of yours are so meticulous when it comes to you, perhaps it will be just as clear to them._

The teen opened his eyes, amber gaze drawn to his phone. Hinata and Oboro were texting back and forth about him, and Takumi realized that he had never replied to them this morning. Hastily, he grabbed his phone and typed out a quick message about still planning on meeting up. When he got acknowledgement from his two friends, he slipped the device into his hoodie pocket and sighed.

"You know," he began wistfully, "sometimes I wish _you_ were the day-to-day person and I got to just hang around in my mind and not worry about my social life."

The dragon seemed genuinely interested by this. _I thought you liked spending time with those two. Were you not the one to suggest making plans for today?_

Takumi frowned. "I _do_ enjoy spending time with them - they're two of my closest friends," he fell backwards onto his bed, sinking into the mattress. "I just feel drained and wish I had the time to think things over."

Anankos could distinctly feel the anxiety pouring over Takumi and how the same feeling of worry he sensed earlier wrapped around his partner like a blanket. The teen's lack of sleep was dulling his mind, and it was obvious that the nightmares plaguing him were beginning to take a toll on him. With Takumi in such a fickle state, the dragon reluctantly voiced the conclusion he came to.

 _Would you like me to cover for you today?_ He asked rather tentatively. He could be reading the situation wrong; perhaps Takumi would prefer to simply push their plans back an hour or two to catch up on sleep or "think things over" like he said he wanted to. Takumi was silent for a while, making Anankos believe it was out of line for him to ask that, and he had nearly retracted his question.

"... Would you mind?"

Anankos masked his surprise as best as he could. _Of course not._

He felt Takumi shove him into control a tad too willingly before vanishing into his mind, leaving Anankos alone to get adjusted. It had been quite some time since he had the body and being in control felt like putting on clothes that weren't the right fit. Of course, the last time he was in control was before Takumi's growth spurt, but the body still felt small to him.

He curled and stretched his fingers absent-mindedly, his mind elsewhere. Takumi had _never_ been this eager to give away his body. As he had gotten older, he had wanted to be more independent and Anankos respected that by talking less and rarely interfering, so this heel-turn was irking him more than he would like to admit. For the past few years, Anankos was only expected to take control if Takumi had gotten into a sticky situation and needed a way out. The dragon hadn't minded, as Takumi's survival meant his own survival as well. But this?

Anankos scoffed at the irony of it. He was acting as a stand-in for his partner for a day _with his friends_.

"I am one of the First Dragons and have lived for thousands of years," he mumbled to himself, red eyes focused on his reflection. "What sort of cruel twist of fate is this?"

For a moment, his gaze stayed on the mirror. Takumi definitely looked like he had seen better days, and Anankos could nearly hear the teen's friends pestering him about his appearance followed by his health. The two certainly still acted like his retainers, even without their memories.

"Oh, I almost forgot..."

He leaned forward so that he could pull open the top drawer of the dresser and he stuck his arm in. After blindly groping past clothes, he drew his arm back to reveal a small container. Upon opening his palm to the contact case, he frowned.

"I need to put in those eye drops, don't I?" He grumbled, reaching for the bottle. With each drop, he winced, but it made putting the contacts in easier. He blinked, and amber eyes stared back.

Anankos ignored the bags under Takumi's eyes, figuring that he could give some excuse about not getting a good night's sleep or something. Of course, the colored contacts were more important, as they would offset any concerns that Hinata and Oboro would have about who was really in the driver's seat. However, after thinking back on it, he realized that the two didn't know he shared the body with Takumi.

He laughed to himself. " _Finally_ , people that don't know about our 'well-kept secret'!"

He locked his fingers behind his head and leaned back, smile fading. Mikoto knew, and she had probably told Sumeragi when she found out. As far as he knew, none of Takumi's siblings knew, especially considering that none of them had their memories. They probably believed Takumi had a split personality or some sort of disorder, and Anankos couldn't help but stifle a laugh; he was so much worse than having a split personality.

He recomposed himself, refocusing on his musings. Leo and Azura _definitely_ knew, that wasn't news. He doubted that the other Windmires knew, or even had their memories of the first life to understand. It was certainly more people than he had originally intended to know, but it could definitely be worse. As much as he joked about their secret being essentially public knowledge at this point, it wasn't as well-known as he had assumed.

Anankos reached into his pocket and took out Takumi's cellphone, having to reach somewhere in his mind to find out _how to turn the damn thing on_. When he eventually turned on the screen, a large _11:07_ stared back at him, followed by a long string of texts from Hinata and Oboro.

He sighed. Today couldn't be _that_ bad...

* * *

"Takumi! There you are!"

Anankos blinked dumbly before realizing that Oboro was calling to _him_. He cursed himself under his breath and then waved to her, quickening his pace. Already off to a bad start, it seemed.

The two were standing in front of the entrance of a diner. Right, they were meeting for brunch. Luckily they would just eat and then part ways; Anankos was not looking forward to spend the entire day impersonating his partner.

Upon meeting the two, he mumbled some excuse about having to help his father with something before he left. Hinata laughed and made some off hand comment that he didn't catch, but by the way Oboro laughed, he let a smile grace his lips.

The three entered the diner and were escorted to a booth, where Anankos sat on one side with Oboro sliding in next to him, and Hinata on the other. Anankos nearly grumbled about her purposely pressing herself close to him, but he held his tongue. He constantly reminded himself that he had to pretend to be Takumi, even if it would aggravate him to no end.

"So," he began awkwardly, feeling the need to prove that he could also initiate conversation. "Do you guys have plans for after this?"

Oboro punched his arm playfully, and Anankos had to bite his tongue to refrain from lashing out at her. "Are you stupid? You were the one who insisted on the three of us spending the entire day together!"

He laughed sheepishly. "O-oh, I did?"

Anankos felt like punching a wall. Of all the days for Takumi to throw in the towel, he had to pick the day that would be the hardest for Anankos to take his place?

"You're really forgetful today," Hinata said, gesturing with a cup of water in his hand. "Did you get enough sleep last night?"

And so it began.

"Honestly, no, but I feel fine," the lie came easy to his lips, but when he felt two wary gazes on him, he stuck his hands out in mock surrender. "R-really!"

Oboro looked ready to say something else, but the waitress came to their booth. Anankos nearly sighed in relief. If things continued on like this, today would be difficult.

With a slight tinge of desperation, he reached out to Takumi's consciousness. As he had expected, his partner showed no signs of responding. _Of course, the one time I need him-_

"And for you, sir?" The waitress' voice brought him back to reality, and he nearly jumped out of his seat in surprise. He did his best to ignore the concerned glances he got from Hinata and Oboro and ordered a simple breakfast.

The two shared a look with one another and Anankos could only wonder where he went wrong. Had he been figured out already? No, it surely wasn't as obvious as he assumed it would be. It's not as if the two knew who he was, even if they _did_ find out he wasn't Takumi.

The rest of their meal went alright, even though Anankos had to dance around some of their tougher questions. Hopefully, he did a good enough job of pretending to be Takumi, but he still had a lingering feeling of doubt about the whole ordeal.

Oboro grabbed him by his arm and nearly dragged him out of the booth. He cried out in protest, but Hinata grabbed his other arm to get him to his feet. As much as he wanted to yell at the two, he knew that it would look out of character for Takumi, so he settled for crossing his arms and grumbling under his breath.

Hinata leaned towards Oboro and whispered something into her ear, and although Anankos couldn't make it out, the two didn't look back at him like they had earlier. Hopefully it wasn't about him, but seeing how brunch had played out, he wouldn't be surprised at this point.

 _Takumi?_ His desperation was getting the best of him. _Come on, get up already._

He frowned; it looks like he was out of luck.

"Hey, you said we should go to the movies next, didn't you?" Hinata asked, hand on his chin to make it look like he had been deep in thought. "The sequel to that old movie just came out."

"Yeah! I can't wait," he faked enthusiasm to the best of his ability, and he reached through Takumi's memories to figure out what else they had planned for today. The movie would take up two hours probably, and maybe he could sleep through that or try to switch with Takumi.

Anankos frowned to himself. Where _was_ Takumi? Usually, a simple prodding would rouse him from sleep, but it seemed as though his partner was unresponsive. It filled the dragon with concern, but he suppressed the feeling; he didn't need Hinata or Oboro reading him like an open book.

He ran his hand through his hair. His eyes fell onto his hand, the realization that this was one of Takumi's nervous tics hitting him. Maybe Takumi was with him, after all.

"Earth to Takumi!" Oboro waved her hand in front of his face with a frown. "Hello!"

Anankos winced, his hand falling to his side. "H-huh?"

Hinata snuck a glance at the blue-haired girl before he spoke. "You keep zoning out. Are you sure you're alright?"

Anankos had the urge to say no and leave the two, but he knew Takumi would push through whatever he was feeling to continue spending the day with his friends. As much as it was going to pain the dragon, a few more hours of social interaction wasn't going to kill him.

"I feel fine," he forced out, and by the way the brunette winced at his tone, Anankos knew he had to fix things. "Please, don't worry so much about me."

Oboro bit her lip as if she was going to rebut, but she held her tongue. Instead, she grabbed Anankos by the wrist and began dragging him towards the street corner. Hinata, who caught up not too long after, pressed the button for the crosswalk and they continued in an awkward silence until they arrived at the movie theater in the mall.

Anankos followed the two absently, his thoughts constantly redirecting to Takumi. The teen had acted strangely this morning, and now that he had retreated into his mind, Anankos had not heard a single thing from him. It was unsettling, but there was hardly anything the dragon could do while he was stuck in control of the body.

The movie began shortly after they arrived, and Anankos did his best to watch it and take his mind off Takumi. He was probably just over thinking it and was concerned over nothing. Besides, Hinata and Oboro would be even more suspicious of him if he didn't pay attention to the movie, especially when they said that Takumi had been the one to want to see it.

He chewed lazily on his popcorn and watched with slight interest. He had to admit, human entertainment was certainly mindless, but some scenes elicited a chuckle from him. Oboro glanced over at him every now and then, but she never said anything to him or Hinata.

Upon the conclusion of the movie, Hinata whispered something to Oboro, and after sharing a thoughtful look, she nodded. Anankos raised an eyebrow at them, and not too long after, they moved in closer to him.

"We're taking you home," Hinata said, and Anankos had to suppress the urge to celebrate. Instead, he knitted his brows together with a slight frown.

"I said I was feeling fine-"

Oboro put her hands on his shoulders and forced him to make eye contact. "Do you really think we can't tell when you're not yourself?"

Anankos, for a moment, believed that he had underestimated the two and that they knew he wasn't Takumi. Upon a quick reassessment, he realized it was more of a saying, but it certainly was directed towards Takumi, not him. "No, of course not... what kind of friends would you be if you couldn't?"

For the second time that day, Oboro looked like she was about to say something but refrained. Hinata noticed this as well and grabbed Anankos by the wrist, leading him towards the exit of the theater with Oboro in tow.

"You're going home and getting some rest, no buts." Hinata asserted, but he let go of Anankos' wrist.

Anankos nodded in response, pretending to act like he knew it was for the best. He had to say, these two humans were more perceptive than he thought they would be. Besides, he could play it off as being sleep-deprived and pretending to be fine so that they wouldn't have had to cancel their plans.

The three headed out of the mall, and after many street lights and crosswalks, they dropped Anankos off at the Shirasagi house with goodbyes and promises to check up on him later. He thanked them and apologized for worrying them, and deep down, he was thankful Takumi had such good friends.

He headed into the house and made his way to Takumi's room, laying down on the bed after closing the door behind him. Luckily, he was home alone until dinner, so that would give him time to sort everything out.

Anankos shut his eyes and searched for Takumi's consciousness. It wasn't there.

* * *

"You can't be serious... _You_ were once the crown prince of Hoshido? And now you hang above the ground, at my mercy! You should be glad I'm ending your pitiful existence."

Ryoma narrowed his eyes at the man holding him by his neck, and even though his vision was darkening at the edges, his grip remained tight on the sword in his hand. Although his memories of the past life were only just beginning to return to him, he felt his pride as a samurai burn deep in his chest. How _dare_ this man challenge him with such underhanded tactics!

The grip tightened on his throat and he choked. How had this even come to be?

He had been on his way home from college for the weekend and, while he was driving, he had a strange sensation overwhelm him. Parking his car, he found himself drawn to a small grassy hill, and upon placing his hand against it, the hill had lit up in a burst of light. Ryoma would have described it as coming right out of a fantasy book, but the side of the hill vanished and left a cavern-like entrance in its wake.

When he had entered, it was like stepping into a time capsule. The innards of the hill resembled a dojo, or some sort of ancient ritual room perhaps, and on a pedestal rested a sheathed katana. Ryoma felt drawn to the sword, and upon wielding it, a rush of memories came to him.

"Are you even listening to me, boy?" The man shook him, and Ryoma was forcefully ripped from his thoughts. His memories were extremely hazy and, for the most part, nebulous because this man had assaulted him not too long after he picked up the sword.

With a scowl, the man tossed Ryoma to the floor. "If you truly are the wielder of this blade, prove your worth! Or I shall take it for myself."

Ryoma gasped for breath and his body ached from being nearly suffocated. Prove his worth? But he had never fought before!

However, the sword in his grasp invigorated him, and he felt a new power arise in his soul with it at his fingertips. Standing up, he unsheathed the katana and lightning crackled on its blade. His grip on the hilt came to him naturally, and he no longer had doubts about who he was.

The Raijinto would always find its way back to him, because he was the crown prince of Hoshido, Ryoma. The blade was his, and his alone.

"I will not allow you to take my blade; a coward who hides his face is not worthy of a divine weapon." He narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on the hilt. If this thief thought he could succeed in stealing the Raijinto from him, well... the samurai would do what he must.

The man chuckled and the sound sent shivers down Ryoma's spine. "Boy, you truly have no idea who you are speaking to!"

The man reached beneath his cloak and withdrew a sword from a sheath on his hip. The weapon was dark as night and emitted a cold, purple aura that seemed to envelop the entire space. Ryoma danced a step back but his stance never wavered.

"If I must claim your life for that blade, I will not hesitate," he readied himself for battle. "By using Siegfried, the Raijinto will be mine!"

Although the sword was heavier and slowed him down, the man charged at Ryoma and swung down. Reactively, Ryoma parried the swing, but the weight pressing into him caused him to jump backwards. Siegfried was being swung at him again, and all he could do was defend until he figured out the attacker's style.

The swords collided frequently, and Ryoma could nearly picture himself in red armor in combat against the same dark sword. He could not remember the wielder of the Siegfried in the past life, but he had a distinct feeling that this man was not him. Had he stolen the Siegfried from its owner as well?

"Weren't you always on the offensive, _prince_?" The man spat between blows, "You haven't even tried to strike me yet!"

Ryoma growled, and with his grip tightening on the hilt, the man was struck with electricity and his knees buckled beneath him. He gawked at the sword in his hand; had the Raijinto done that?

"What did I do to deserve this?" He asked with a light laugh, and seeing the thief struggle to his feet was a pleasant sight.

"I should have just killed you when I had the chance," the man muttered to himself, his grip on the Siegfried tightening until his knuckles were white.

He raised the sword and a beam of darkness shot out of it and towards Ryoma. With mere seconds to react, he was able to take the brunt of the hit with the Raijinto, but the blast left him off balance. The man charged at him, and Ryoma was unable to steady himself in time, leaving him wide open to a strike across his chest.

Ryoma cried out but retaliated, his blade piercing near the thief's abdomen. The man fell backwards, clutching at the wound, and he shakily raised Siegfried with his other hand.

"Damn," he spat out blood with a light chuckle. "You're lucky you were incredibly skilled in your past life."

Ryoma gritted his teeth against the searing pain across his chest and readjusted his stance. "I'll thank the gods after I defeat you."

Siegfried came down on him but he dodged to the right with a lunge of his own. The thief was becoming wearier and it was showing in how sloppy his swings were. Of course, Ryoma wasn't in the best of conditions either and the precision of his attacks were off. With both fighters exhausted, the fight would come down to endurance and sheer will power.

Their blades continuously clashed, lightning and darkness combatting one another in an endless struggle. The thief was stabbed near his shoulder, Ryoma was slashed on his arm. The moves became slower and weaker, and the two struggled for breath more often than they attacked.

Summoning a final burst of lightning upon him, the thief crumpled to the floor. Ryoma knelt with support from the Raijinto, but found himself unable to move any more.

"I'll r-return..." The man choked out, and he began to drag himself towards the exit, any energy left to stand non-existent. "And that blade... w-will be mine...!"

Ryoma could only watch powerlessly as the man dragged his body across the floor and, eventually, out of the room. His breath hitched in his throat and he collapsed, the Raijinto still held tightly in his grasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :thinking:
> 
> A lot of important plot stuff happens here and I wasted most of the chapter on Anankos being comic relief


	18. Mend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos/comments! I get such a stupid smile on my face getting emails about them.
> 
> So the last chapter had Ryoma sensing a dragon vein in front of that hill, and the dragon vein is how it turned into that cave with the Raijinto in it. This chapter has uh... medical things? Like blood and disinfecting wounds and stuff, so fair warning for that.

Anankos stared at his hands and blinked. And blinked. And blinked.

Where was Takumi? It felt horribly wrong to be in his body with Takumi no where to be found, and his mind was racing at a mile a minute. _Where was Takumi?_

The last that he heard from Takumi was in the morning, where the teen had been too tired to fulfill his plans with Hinata and Oboro. Anankos had just assumed that he had been sleeping, but for the boy's consciousness to _not be there_? The dragon was beginning to panic.

His fear over the entire situation made him think. Before this lifetime, he had only cared for himself. He had connected their souls in the first place so that he could use Takumi's body as a resting place of sorts. He cared about his goal of revenge, his desire to reek havoc on humanity... but now?

He cared for the human - the replaceable human - that he had manipulated and used as a vessel. His bond with Takumi had given him the strength to rein in his draconic side and finally return to his original self. He was the same Anankos that had loved Ryuurei and the people of Valla, all those years ago.

He cared for Takumi. His dragon half - were they truly halves when they were essentially the same being? - may not have shared his sentiment, but this Anankos knew that he cared for the human. His vessel. His _partner_.

He ran his hand through his hair, running through every possibility he could think of for what could have caused Takumi's disappearance. There was his other half's interference, or perhaps Takumi had somehow suppressed his consciousness and now Anankos could not find it.

He sighed. This was going to get him nowhere. What-if's were not going to help him in this situation. But what _would_ get him out of this situation?

His musings were stopped by a burst of emotions bustling downstairs. He winced against the sudden occurrence, but he found himself on his feet. Why was somebody home? From what he could remember, no one was supposed to be around until the evening.

Of course, _he_ was supposed to be out of the house with Hinata and Oboro until later as well, but plans change, he mused.

Bringing himself to his senses, he left Takumi's bedroom, shutting the door behind him, and took careful steps down the stairs. He had no idea who was down there, just what emotions they were feeling. It was a flawed ability, sure, but it gave him the notion that there even _were_ people in the house.

As stealthily as he could manage, he peeked around the corner of the staircase to get a look at who was downstairs. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of Azura, exhausted and out of breath, with a beaten and bloody Ryoma leaning on her.

"Ryoma!" He cried, and his mouth seemed to move faster than his brain. He ran towards the pair, ignoring Azura's surprise about him being there, and his vision tunneled on Ryoma. His brother - no, _Takumi's brother_ \- was barely holding on to consciousness, and blood oozed from countless cuts. The elder brother's eyes slipped shut, and Anankos nearly cried out again.

"Takumi?" Azura asked tentatively. She knelt down, bringing the unconscious Ryoma onto his knees so that his weight was no longer on her, and watched as Takumi clung to his brother like a lifeline.

Azura's voice snapped him out of his haze. He pulled away from Ryoma and leaned back. What was he doing? Why had seeing Ryoma injured elicit such a childish response? Even in this life, Anankos had not been close with Ryoma, so why was he being so clingy now?

"Sorry," he said, because an apology was the only thing that came to his lips. "... What happened to Ryoma?"

Azura took notice of the lack of honorifics, but did not comment on it. "I was on my way to the lake this afternoon and I usually pass by this hill. Instead of the hill, it looked as though the side had vanished, and it was an entrance to a strange room." She glanced towards Ryoma with a frown. "I found your brother on the ground, unconscious and bloody."

Anankos' eyes caught the sword clenched in Ryoma's fist, but he knew he had to ignore it for now; Azura was awaiting a response. "Thank you for bringing him back here, Azura," he kept his gaze on Ryoma, hoping that the girl would not look too closely at himself. "Does my family know?"

She shook her head, golden eyes sad. "I had no time to call," she explained, "and I was scared that he might bleed out if I wasted time."

Anankos got to his feet and rummaged through Takumi's memory for the location of any kind of first-aid supplies. A call for an ambulance would be more helpful, but Anankos had a feeling that getting outside forces involved was a bad idea. The sight of the Raijinto was a good enough hint that the thief that stole Brynhildr from Leo was involved.

"Ah," he muttered to himself, "the first-aid kit is in the bathroom." He turned towards Azura, "I'll be right back."

He spun around and made his way through the hallway towards the back of the house. As he searched through the drawers in the bathroom, his thoughts kept trailing back to his reaction to seeing Ryoma. Before he had realized it, he had been crying out for the man and clinging to him like an infant. Anankos held respect for the once crown prince, but he would not call himself _attached_.

He ran his hand through his hair. The only thing he could think of was that his reaction was _Takumi's_ reaction. At least, that was the only musing that made _some_ sense.

He slid open a drawer closer to the floor and was pleased to finally find the first-aid kit. He grabbed it with haste, closed the drawer with his foot, and he found himself hurrying back to the living room. Azura was holding onto Ryoma's shoulder to keep him upright in his sitting position. The man was still unconscious, but the two teens knew that they would have to work quickly to treat his wounds.

"We have to run his wounds under a running tap, right?" Anankos asked. His medical knowledge was limited to whatever Takumi knew, and it was pretty much only the basics.

Azura began unlatching the kit to open it. "Due to the amount of cuts he has, we are going to have to treat them with a saline solution," she found a bottle filled with a clear liquid and began twisting it open. "It isn't the most effective, but we'll be able to disinfect all of them."

He nodded along, and Azura left for the kitchen to dampen a wash cloth. Anankos supported Ryoma so that the girl could work. When she returned, she began wiping the blood and other substances from the wounds.

Upon removing the blood from the cuts, she placed the soiled wash cloth on the cover of the first-aid kit. She soaked a gauze pad with hydrogen peroxide, but she hesitated before she began disinfecting the cuts.

"What's wrong?" Anankos asked, opting to move his hands towards Ryoma's side, leaving the area Azura was about to clean open.

The girl looked unsure. "The wound near his abdomen is serious," she noticed blood began to well from the opening and she frowned. "To stop any more major blood loss... I think we need to cauterize it."

Anankos knew that calling an ambulance and having professionals take care of Ryoma was the best choice. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that letting Ryoma out of their sight was a bad idea. The thief could steal Raijinto and even kill Ryoma in this state. Azura and he were on their own.

"R-right," he nodded, and he made his way to the kitchen. He started up the stove, and upon retrieving a kitchen knife, he began to heat up the metal.

He had never done any of this medical stuff before. Nervousness buzzed in his chest and he wondered how Azura could be so calm in all of this.

After a few minutes, he turned off the stove and retrieved the knife. He could see the steam rising from the metal and it made him feel squeamish. He returned to the living room, and Azura had already lay Ryoma down onto his back. She had her eyes on him expectantly, waiting for him to begin, but truthfully, he was waiting for her instructions.

She must have noticed his anxiousness because she spoke. "Just remember: only press it to his skin for a second or two - and give breaks in between."

Anankos nodded, and as he brought the knife closer to Ryoma's stomach, he noticed his hand was shaking. He pressed the knife down against the beginning of the cut, and Ryoma's body tensed against the pain. Anankos pulled the metal away, but was pleased to see that the skin was beginning to mend.

He continued on, his grip getting less tentative as he moved along the cut, and after a gruesome few minutes, the wound was completely sealed.

Azura began laughing. "I knew it had to be you, Anankos."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, placing the knife on the ground near the first-aid kit. There was no reason to hide it. "And why's that?"

She began to resoak the gauze in the saline solution and dab it on Ryoma's smaller cuts. "Takumi would have fainted from all of the blood. There's no way he would have been able to cauterize that wound."

Anankos found band-aids and moved to cover the cuts after Azura disinfected them. "Maybe it's a good thing that he's not here, then."

She paused for a second, but then continued to clean the cuts. "He's... not there?"

"I can't find him." He reached for more band-aids. "He made me stand in for him today and then he vanished."

Azura pursed her lips together as she finished disinfecting the final cut, and she began to close up the kit. "You have no idea what happened to him?"

He frowned, taking the wash cloth and knife off the ground and to the sink. "If I did, he would be the one here and not me."

"I see," she nodded in understanding. She knelt down besides Ryoma's shoulders and grabbed him from under his arms. "Help me move him onto the couch."

Anankos complied, taking Ryoma's legs and lifting the man onto the sofa. The dragon sighed, exhausted from him and Azura's medical procedure. "I certainly never want to do _that_ again."

The girl nodded in agreement, and she turned towards him. "What are you planning on doing now?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know," he admitted, keeping his gaze on Ryoma. "I'm worried about Takumi, but it looks like we have a bigger problem on our hands. It looks like the same person that took Brynhildr is after Ryoma."

"They must have fought," she observed, "but it looks like Ryoma was able to hold his own."

Anankos frowned. "He still has Raijinto, if that means anything."

"Do you know why someone is after the divine weapons?" Azura took a seat in one of the other chairs in the room, but Anankos stayed standing.

He shut his eyes. He remembered one of the other First Dragons, the Rainbow Sage, creating the weapons to help end the war between them. After the war between the dragons, the humans fought over the weapons and their power. All five of them held great power, but _together_...

"Presumably for power," he said, interrupting his own thoughts. "But bringing them all together is not something we want."

Azura crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. "What will happen then?"

Anankos refused to answer, as if his silence would prevent it from happening.

* * *

Takumi awoke in a bleary haze, his alarm clock blaring being the only thing he could register. In his half-asleep state, he lazily reached his arm towards his nightstand and attempted to silence the alarm. After many unsuccessful attempts, he pulled himself closer to the night stand and smacked the off button. Sighing in relief, he melted back into the bed, but he knew there was no way he was getting back to sleep.

With a yawn, he pushed himself off the bed and stretched his arms over his head. What day was it again? He could not remember if he had school or not, but the fact that his alarm was on probably meant that he did. He groaned to himself and rubbed at his eyes, figuring he had to rush if he wanted to eat breakfast before leaving his house.

His hand hovered over the clothes in his drawer as a sense of confusion fell over him. What season was it again? Was it going to be hot or cold today? He scratched the back of his head as he narrowed his eyes at the assortment of shirts before him.

"Shouldn't I know something like that?" He asked himself, but he was unable to ponder the question any further.

His bedroom door creaked open and a man walked in. The man had cyan blue hair that reached his shoulders and eyes that shined like gold. His skin was pale and he bore a crown that wired around his head. And for some reason, he seemed _familiar_.

The man smiled, and Takumi found himself thinking that only smiles suited the man's features. "Come now, dear boy," he goaded, and his voice seemed more like a melody than words. "If you do not hurry, you will be late, Takumi."

Takumi began to refute, asking who the man was and what he was doing in his bedroom, but the questions died on his tongue. In the blink of an eye, he was dressed, his backpack slung on his shoulder, and he was being led by the hand by the mysterious man. Despite the calm that overtook him, Takumi could not ignore the fact that everything seemed _wrong_. He felt safe with the man, but he had never met him before. There was also the fact that everything seemed to be blending together, but the blissful ignorance that enveloped him began to dull his senses.

He turned around to catch the view of his house behind him, but when he spun back around, the man was gone. He painstakingly took notice of how his hand felt empty without the man guiding him along. In his panic, he glanced around him, but there were no traces of the man to be seen. Instead, he was met with the sight of his siblings not to far from him.

He rushed towards them, suddenly feeling alone after being abandoned by the man, and he ran into their embraces. "I'm so glad I found you guys," he found himself saying, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he hugged them. He had nearly forgotten what it felt like to be with them.

Suddenly, it was hot. He opened his eyes to the sight of a forest - had that forest been there earlier? - on fire. The flames were crawling up the trees and spreading across the grass. The fire was making its way closer, surrounding them.

"Ah!" He yelped, and he noticed that his siblings were all failing to react. "What are you guys doing? Come on, we have to get out of here!"

He tugged on Hinoka's arm, and he pulled back skin with a texture that seemed more like wax. Looking up in horror, he realized that Ryoma, Kamui, and Sakura were also melting.

... Melting?

The scene vanished before him and he found himself curled up on himself in a cave. _He was cold. And lonely._ He pushed himself onto his hands and knees, and stared at the open skies before him. Where was he now?

He could hear footsteps from outside of the cave entrance, and he backed away in fear. Was somebody coming to hurt him? He had nothing to protect himself, he might die here and that would be the end of everything -

"Takumi?" The voice called, and he recoiled in shock. This person knew who he was?

The man from before appeared, and Takumi felt himself relax. Why he felt at ease was beyond him, but it was nice to have some consistency after what had happened so far. The man approached him slowly and knelt before him.

"Come now," he said, and the words echoed in the cave. Takumi took the man's outstretched hand, and the next thing he knew, they were in the clearing of the forest that Takumi would practice his archery in.

He looked around in awe, as the area was dim with fireflies sparking and flitting across the air. He was reminded of his childhood and nights spent catching the bugs to be used as a reading light. It brought a smile to his face, and the man seemed to smile as well.

The man's form morphed into that of Sumeragi's in an instant, and Takumi wasn't sure if he had imagined the cyan-haired man in the first place.

"Alright, Takumi," Sumeragi boomed, and the day was now that of a late afternoon. He felt small and insignificant next to his father, but he readied his bow with all of the confidence he could muster. Yes, he was finally going to prove himself to his father and show that he was worthy of being a Shirasagi. He nocked the arrow and pulled the string back, his eyes set on the target hung on a tree.

When he released the string, the arrow was a haunting violet, and it barely missed hitting Kamu - _Corrin_. That traitor went by Corrin now because that was the name the Nohrians gave her. It was fine by him; she no longer deserved the name of his long lost sister. It made it easier to remove the Hoshidan blood running through her veins.

His head hurt. The bow he was wielding was unfamiliar and felt foreign in his grasp, but he clutched it like it was his lifeline. Perhaps it _was_ , but he could not tell. His head hurt and he needed to kill her.

He was brought to his knees, blood trailing down his chin, and he was hardly conscious. Something else was speaking with his tongue, but before he could fight for control, a tree sprouted from the ground and impaled him.

He awoke in a forest, his vision bleary against the harsh sunlight. Distantly, he wondered how many times he would come to and find himself on the ground, but the dull ache in his mind prevented any further musings.

A woman with fair skin and short, dark hair was approaching him. For some reason, his heart clenched in his chest and he had the strong urge to cry. She offered him a hand, and although he expected to be overwhelmed by her love, the woman acted like she did not know him.

He sunk to his knees and he finally allowed the tears to fall. The scene around him faded, the woman and the forest disappearing as if it had never existed at all, and a dark chamber blinked into life.

"It took you long enough, human."

Takumi sniffled, wiping at his eyes. "Who a-are you? And what do y-you want from me?"

Two red eyes opened before him. And then another pair. And then another.

"I thought you smarter than this," the voice said with a tinge of frustration. "I had no expectations for a human like you and I am still disappointed."

The teen did his best to compose himself, but his voice was still shaky and tentative. "I asked you questions a-and you still haven't answered me-"

The eyes seemed to explode with an air of intimidation and Takumi instinctively cowered backwards under their gazes. "Silence!" It barked, and the sound echoed throughout the chamber. "I never gave you permission to speak, you insolent creature!"

Takumi felt minuscule. He could not see the monster speaking to him in the darkness, but the large glowing eyes that each seemed larger than his head made it clear that this _thing_ could easily dispose of him without breaking a sweat. He pulled his knees to his chest and curled in on himself. He was scared. He was afraid of the dark and this monster was going to kill him without a second thought.

The monster seemed to be watching him in the darkness as it called him out on his cowering. "Afraid of the dark, are you?" It scoffed, but it held a hint of amusement. "How pitiful! No wonder you were easy prey in the first life."

Takumi's eyes snapped open as the realization hit him. He was speaking to Anankos. It was the dragon half, but it was Anankos nonetheless.

The dragon hummed in response to the teen's thoughts, and he seemed to perk up. "Ah, now that wasn't that hard to figure out, was it?"

Takumi grumbled, cursing himself for falling for Anankos' mind games. "How did I even get here? Why are _you_ here?"

Anankos growled in what must have been disapproval of his questions. "You have no authority over me."

Takumi found himself getting his edge back and his biting remarks were bustling at his mind. "Well, the fact that you reside in _my_ mind at _my_ will would say otherwise..."

The dragon narrowed his eyes in anger, and Takumi winced in fear of retaliation. "That will soon change."

Takumi braced himself for a speech about Anankos finally claiming his body as the vessel he was meant to be, about getting his revenge on humanity and ending the human race, but it never came. The dragon seemed to be awaiting his response for reasons he could never guess, so he began his rebuttal for a claim that was never made.

"I'm not letting you take my body for your plans to eradicate humanity," he said in a strained voice, finally getting to his feet. He was still surrounded by the dark, and it seemed to cling to his skin like oil. The red eyes surrounding him widened in... surprise?

"Have you ever considered," the dragon interrupted his speech, "that I brought you here for a reason?"

The human paused, his eyebrows raised in question. Now that he thought about it, he had never spoken to this Anankos. This half of the dragon had only made himself known to attempt to kill his friends. From what he could tell, the dragon despised him for being human, for being weak. So why would he bring him here?

Anankos sighed. "You think too much, human."

Right, the dragon could read his thoughts. Takumi crossed his arms over his chest with a huff. "My brain is all I have to rely on."

There was a laugh and Takumi felt highly uncomfortable at the sound. "You aren't going to like the news I have for you then!"

Takumi narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What are you talking about?" He was getting irritated. The dragon was obviously toying with him, and he hated being in the dark (physically and metaphorically, he mused).

"Idiot," he huffed. "Could you not figure it out from your 'dream'?"

His dream? He had thought it odd, of course, but what did that have to do with anything? He still had no idea why Anankos had brought him here to speak with him.

The pairs of red eyes moved closer to him, and Anankos was close enough for Takumi to feel the dragon's breath against him. He danced a step back on instinct, but his foot got caught on something and he tripped backwards. His back pressed against a rough surface, and Takumi found another reason to hate the dark.

The surface shifted against his weight and Anankos scowled. "Get off me."

Takumi yelped and scampered away from what must have been the dragon's scales. "How am I supposed to know that was you? I can't see anything!"

The eyes narrowed in... confusion? "How odd," Anankos muttered to himself, and Takumi realized that he still never received the answer he was looking for.

"Can you just answer my question?" He was exasperated. He still felt oddly drained from his dream, and having the dragon play around with him was mentally taxing. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I said I would not answer your questions," he reiterated, and Takumi found that he sounded like a broken record player. "However, this concerns you _and_ me."

The teen parted his lips but held his tongue. He knew better than to push his luck, but he was appreciative of the fact that the dragon was actually giving him room to breathe.

Anankos seemed to lay down, as all of the eyes moved lower to the ground. Takumi stayed on his knees and he crossed his arms, as if it would shield him from whatever the dragon was going to tell him. Although it was pitch black and all he could make out in the dark was those glowing, red eyes, Takumi kept his eyes open in wariness. He still did not trust Anankos.

The dragon took in a deep breath, contemplated his thoughts, and exhaled. "When I implanted part of my soul into yours, I intended to use you as a vessel and a vessel only. When I would regain my strength, I would claim your body for my own and return to my dragon form."

Takumi frowned. "You act like I don't already know that."

Anankos made a low, guttural sound and Takumi felt goosebumps race across his skin. "Do _not_ interrupt me, human."

Takumi resisted the urge to rebuke. Anankos took the teen's silence as a sign to continue. "As I was saying, I connected our souls so that I could take advantage of your reincarnation. It worked for hundreds of years, but then this lifetime came around."

He paused, finding the words to express how this life became so different from the others. "When you were reborn, it was... _odd._ Your family looked the exact same as the first life and I found myself intrigued by the occurrence." His voice then lowered into a grumble. "Of course, you as a child brought back my other half and his... what does he call it... ' _love for humanity_ '."

He frowned at the mention of his other half. "He is weak and sentimental, and he grew attached to you. Before that life, he was on the brink of non-existence. I had killed that part of me in the first life, but upon entwining my soul with yours, I found out that a small portion of him still existed within me. It is the reason why both of us exist in you."

As much as he wanted to ask questions about what was said, Takumi would much rather Anankos explain everything. If he interrupted again, the dragon might get angry and refuse to say anything else. As such, Takumi listened intently and nodded along, knowing that the dragon would only tell him once.

Anankos ignored Takumi's thoughts and continued his story. "My other half spent many years in direct contact with you. He could read your thoughts and feel your emotions, and although your minds were separate, he was very close with you." The dragon then hesitated in contemplation. "I believe that is the reason why this is happening."

Takumi could not help himself. "Your other half and I being close is the reason for _what_ happening?"

"You _idiot_!" Anankos roared in frustration. "Our souls are no longer just connected - they have begun to _fuse_!"

Takumi's mouth hung agape. Their souls... were beginning to fuse? His heart sunk into his stomach. Was that dream a combination of all three of their memories?

Anankos sighed, and Takumi could feel the exhaustion exuding from the dragon. "I do not know how long it will take, but eventually, our minds will fuse and the three of us will be one being. Perhaps your body will be unable to handle it, and who knows what will happen then."

Takumi jumped to his feet and panic clamored in his chest. "We have to stop this from happening. There must be some way we can-!"

"Don't you think I would have stopped this already if I knew how to?" Anankos sounded defeated, and Takumi felt his energy leave him. The situation was hopeless.

The many pairs of red eyes shut in resignation. "If only my other half never became attached to you..."

It made Takumi think about the other Anankos, the one that he knew as a friend and not a parasite. "Where even _is_ he? I haven't heard him at all."

"He has been standing in for you," the dragon answered. "It turns out he is useful for _something_." Anankos chuckled to himself but the laughter died in his throat. "I have been trying to bring you here for days but his mind acts as a shield, of sorts. With him occupied in your body, I was able to bring you here when you went to sleep."

"Have all of my nightmares been caused by you trying to bring me here?" Takumi found himself asking. If Anankos was in the mood to answer his questions, he would not waste the opportunity.

"Not all of them," he admitted, "but a great deal of them, yes."

The teen hummed in response. That figured. "So now what?"

Anankos bristled at the question. "What?"

Takumi frowned. "Is that all you needed from me? Can you, uh... send me back?"

Anankos knew that he could do without the human, but he had a feeling that sending Takumi back to consciousness meant that he would have no way out of here. His other half would protect Takumi's mind once again, and Anankos was not strong enough to drag the two down here and claim the body for himself. Unless...

"I'll send you back but..." The dragon smirked. "This might hurt."

Before Takumi could react, Anankos wrapped his body around Takumi's, and the two vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot I want to talk about but that would lead to spoilers... But yeah. (Best part about writing this chapter was writing the part with the forest catching on fire and Takumi's siblings melting and then Burn Baby Burn came on the radio so I stared at my screen and laughed to myself at two in the morning lmao)
> 
> The man that guides Takumi through his dream/memory thing is Ryuurei, the first king of Valla. He has golden eyes where as Anankos' human(?) form has red eyes (though I hc that Anankos based his appearance on Ryuurei).
> 
> In other news, THE THREE OF THEM ARE BEGINNING TO FUSE. I wonder why Anankos has been picking up on Takumi's nervous tics and is always running his hand through his hair?? Or why his reaction to Ryoma being hurt is way more accurate to how Takumi would react?? HMMMM


	19. Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHHHH IT'S BEEN LIKE FIVE MONTHS. Writer's block hit me hard, and then life happened. School, band, and college apps... I also got accepted into a program where I become a full-time college student at my local university for the spring semester instead of the second half of my senior year, so that's exciting. Hopefully updates don't take this long but now I can blame college instead of high school haha
> 
> Enjoy the long awaited chapter!

Leo stumbled and leaned his weight against the wall, clutching at his chest. Brynhildr was calling for him, and it tugged at his soul painfully. He panted, squeezing an eye shut as if it would stop the pain, and tightened his grip. This had been happening spontaneously for the past four years, and he was still not adjusted to the random onsets. He hated how powerless he felt in moments like this, but there was nothing he could do to counteract it.

He took slow, sluggish steps and continued to use the wall to support himself. He needed to find Azura and have her sing for him; his very essence felt like it was constricting on itself and he had no idea how long this spell would last. He called her name in a pained voice, and when there was no answer, he knew she was not home.

"Damn," he grumbled, his fist tightening on his shirt, "she must be at the lake..."

After all of these years, Leo came to learn that if his older sister was missing, she was most likely by the lake in the nearby forest. Why she had such an affinity to the water, he never knew, but perhaps her name heralded it. Luckily, it made tracking her down easier because she never told anyone where she was going and never carried her phone around.

The blond was somehow able to stay on his feet and drag himself out of the house, only being able to distract himself from the ache in his chest by focusing so diligently on putting one foot after the other. It was a slow and painful process, but it was progress. He closed the door behind him but left it unlocked as he realized he forgot his keys. "Whatever," he began trudging down the steps, "I'll lock it later."

As he kept his eyes glued to his feet to make sure he didn't fall, Leo came to a realization and felt the urge to hit himself. "... Am I really wearing two different pairs of shoes?" He wanted to save himself from embarrassment by changing, but with how much his chest hurt, he knew there was no time. He sighed in frustration but continued on his way, leaning against trees to steady himself.

Leo chewed on the inside of his mouth to distract himself from the burning in his chest, pushing himself along through the forest. He sure hoped that Azura was actually by the lake. Any minute now, he would hear her singing in the distance and his worries would be for naught.

By the time he made it about halfway to the lake, he heard footsteps coming from the dirt path a little further ahead. Maybe it was Azura on her way back from the lake? Still, out of instinct, he slid down against the tree to hide from view, and he eavesdropped as the person got closer.

"Are you sure you're alright to walk?" It was a woman's voice - certainly not that of his sister's - and by the way she asked a question, Leo realized that there had to be two people. He quieted his breaths and did his best to not move a muscle.

He heard a man grunt; that had to be the person she was asking, then. "Never been better." His voice dripped with sarcasm and Leo could picture the woman retracting an outstretched hand.

The footsteps stopped and Leo's breath hitched in his throat. Did they notice him and stop? He shut his eyes in fear and kept as quiet as possible.

The woman seemed to frown as she spoke in a disproving tone. "Let's take a break for now; you're too stubborn to admit how weak you are and I don't need you collapsing."

Leo peeked open an eye, realizing they had not noticed him, and then opened the other with a wave of relief. However, by the sound of movement and quiet voices, Leo came to the realization that they had settled down on the other side of the tree. Just his luck.

If he wasn't already in enough pain, now his heart was pounding and his chest began to constrict. His hands were beginning to shake and he could feel the hairs on the nape of his neck standing on end. He gripped at his shirt above his heart with shaky fingers. Why was his body reacting like this?

"Did you get the Raijinto?"

Leo's jaw fell in surprise and he had to refrain from making any sound. The thief of the divine weapons was on the other side of the tree. The person who took Brynhildr was right behind him.

His soul must have been reacting to Brynhildr, to how close it was to him, but the tome seemed to paralyze him rather than empower him. It pained him to know that him tome was so close to him and that he couldn't take it back, but a thought struck him. Maybe Brynhildr was protecting him by immobilizing him? If he revealed himself, who knew if he could handle the thief and the woman with him. Reluctantly, he decided that he would just have to play the waiting game and listen to their conversation.

The man exhaled, and his exhaustion finally began to show. "No... that damned prince reincarnate fought back and I had to retreat. He's in worse shape than me, but he still has the blade."

Leo breathed a sigh of relief. Raijinto was safe for now, but what about the other weapons? The thief had Brynhildr, but did he have any of the others? There was a good chance that maybe he had used one of the other weapons in his fight with Ryoma. Just thinking about the possibility caused his anxiety to spike.

The woman seemed to be consoling the man, giving Leo time to think. His adrenaline was still high and the tug from his tome was a constant reminder that he had failed all those years ago. Ryoma had been able to fight back, so why hadn't he? Of course, he had been barely a teenager at the time and the thief didn't even need to fight him to steal Brynhildr. The difference was that Ryoma had Raijinto.

The fact that Brynhildr was less than a foot or two away from him goaded him to attack the thief, especially when the man was injured from his own fight, but Leo could still barely move. No matter how painful it would be to have his tome be so close yet so far from his grasp, he would have to wait it out. He had to trust in his tome that staying hidden was the right choice. Once he got help from Azura, he would return for his tome. Maybe he could get Takumi to help him too.

He paused. Did Takumi know about the incident with Ryoma? By what the thief was saying, it seemed like it must have just happened, especially if the man was stumbling and weak. Leo would need to get Azura from the lake and then go to the Shirasagi house as soon as possible, but he wanted to eavesdrop on the two for as long as he could. The more information the better; he would just need to stick out the pain from Brynhildr.

"We need to keep going," the woman said hastily - Leo cursed under his breath - and she must have been getting to her feet. "Here, take my hand-"

Leo recoiled at the sound of a slap ringing in the air, and he could only wait in fear for what happened next. He could hear more shuffling - probably the man standing up - and then a small whimper from the woman.

"I don't need your help." He declared, and he began to walk in the original direction they were going. The man walked with heavy, unsteady steps, blood trailing behind him, and the woman was left to follow a few paces behind him.

Leo's eyes trailed after the two cloaked individuals until they were out of sight, and he was left with more questions than answers. The man was the thief of the divine weapons, that was for sure, but what role did that woman play? She seemed like a civilian dragged into this whole ordeal, and he couldn't help but feel bad for her. Perhaps an old lover? Or maybe she still had faith in the man, despite his morals now? Either way, the thief wasn't alone in his endeavors.

As his adrenaline finally began to die down, he could finally organize his thoughts. The thief had Brynhildr, but not Raijinto. The other divine weapons were missing, but he was certain the thief would pursue them as soon as they came into the picture. If the wielders were the same, then his brother Xander, Takumi, and Takumi's sister Kamui were in danger.

A thought struck Leo. Come to think of it, he still had no idea why the thief was collecting all of the divine weapons. His memories of the first life were hazy but he knew there had to be an ultimate goal in bringing them all together. Maybe they bestowed some special power on the one to bring them all together, or maybe they gave infinite power or knowledge. Maybe the thief didn't even know, just that bringing them together would cause _something_.

And what would _Leo_ do if he got Brynhildr back? Besides relieve the excruciating pain being separated from it caused, he still had no idea what would he do with the tome. It dawned on him that he had been chasing an _idea_ all these years.

Brynhildr throbbed in his chest, almost as a reminder. He had to push away his own doubts for now. What mattered was getting his tome back from the thief. As long as Brynhildr wasn't in the hands of the thief, he had time to consider what exactly the tome was to _him_.

With a new resolution, he got to his feet shakily, leaning on the bark of the tree for support. His encounter with the couple had distracted him; he still needed to find Azura. The new information would be beneficial to her and Takumi, but he figured telling Takumi first would be his best bet. He could bear the pain in his chest and find his sister later.

Leo supported his weight against the tree and leaned heavily into his next step. His entire being ached, most definitely because of how close Brynhildr had been, but he had to believe that it was the right decision to not pursue the thief. He gritted his teeth against the pain and continued to stumble through the forest and towards the Shirasagi house. It didn't matter anymore. He would eventually get his tome back. For now, he just had to hold on until he got to the house. He had to tell Takumi...

Suddenly, he froze. "No... there's no way -"

Now that his adrenaline had stopped and the encounter had truly registered in his brain, he realized that he recognized the voices of the couple. _He knew who the thief was_.

He quickened his steps towards Takumi's house, pushing against the tree barks and stumbling through the woods as fast as he could. "No, no, no, no, no! It can't be. _They_ can't be -"

* * *

"I see," Azura hummed, crossing her legs. She twiddled her thumbs idly and glanced towards the unconscious body of Ryoma, the familiar sensation of worry creeping into her veins. Distantly, she wondered of Leo's well being and his fate as Brynhildr's wielder; she could only pray for no harm to befall him, everything just seemed out of her power now.

She needed to dispel her fears. Her brother would be fine. She had to be strong - if not for him, then for herself. She could not let her worries burden her, especially not with the dangers that loomed before them with the thief.

Azura allowed herself one last question in the hopes of disquieting her fears. "Do you know where any of the other weapons are?"

Anankos frowned, casting his amber eyes towards Ryoma as well. "No. Just that Brynhildr is in the wrong hands." He shifted his weight onto his left foot and crossed his arms across his chest, furrowing his eyebrows in thought. "And seeing the shape that Ryoma is in, I wouldn't be surprised if the thief had one of the other weapons."

The songstress let out an exhale. Things were not looking good for them. Although he had Raijinto, Ryoma was out for the count; Leo was without Brynhildr and suffering for it. Siegfried, the Fujin Yumi, and the Yato were still missing. The wielders had to be the same, she figured, so that meant the Xander, Takumi, and Kamui were without their weapons.

Her thoughts began to spiral downwards into despair. What if the thief already had them?

Suddenly, a dizzy spell hit Anankos. He lost his balance and found himself grabbing onto the arm of a chair to steady himself, the room beginning to spin around him.

Azura jumped from her seat in an instant, her thoughts forgotten, and ran to his side. "What's wrong?"

She helped him into the chair, and he squeezed his eyes shut to combat his dizziness. "I-I don't know," he admitted, hating the way his stomach seemed to flip and a migraine hit him full force. "But everything _hurts_ -"

Anankos began to curl into himself on the chair, his knees pulled close to his chest and his hands grabbing at his skull. He felt like he was on fire. Pitiful as he must have seemed, he started to whimper, the pain growing unbearable for his human form.

Azura, finally shocked out of her stupor, rushed to the kitchen to retrieve a hot washcloth and the first aid kit. Everything was happening so quickly and she had no time to think of any actual medical procedures to perform. Not knowing exactly how to get the dragon through... _whatever_ he was experiencing, she held the washcloth to his forehead and did the first thing that came to mind.

She sang.

He cried out, digging his fingers into his hair and curling into himself more than before. He continued to writhe in pain; his body seemed to be rebelling against her song - against the power of Ryuurei's pendant - and his head continued to pound. His breaths were ragged and his entire body shook with tremors.

Azura gripped onto her pendant tighter as she sang the chorus, using her other hand to press the washcloth against his forehead. Anankos seemed to melt into her touch unconsciously and his breathing began to fall into a more natural rhythm, a stark contrast to his previous outburst.

A few minutes passed before the dragon peeked an eye open against the diminishing pain, slowly releasing the grip he had on his head. His insides still felt like they were on fire, and the migraine had only subsided slightly, but he was no longer on the brink of tears due to the pain. He was still shaken up if the tremors in his hands conveyed anything.

Azura watched him with concerned golden eyes, and he gestured with a small nod that she could take the washcloth off of his forehead. "I'm alright... for _now_ , at least."

He made a move to sit up but the songstress put her hands on his shoulders and held him down. "We don't know if that will happen again, so please, just stay where you are," she reasoned, and the worry in her voice was genuine. "... I'll get you something to eat, you're probably hungry."

Before he could rebut, Azura had already taken the washcloth and the first aid kit and left the room for the kitchen, leaving him to his thoughts. His stomach _did_ hurt, and perhaps his hunger contributed to that. He realized that he hadn't eaten since he was with Oboro and Hinata, and he couldn't even begin to guess how many hours ago that was. Takumi's body was already sleep deprived; starving it on top of that was just _begging_ for another one of these episodes.

Of course, Anankos reasoned, a little bit of sleep deprivation and hunger couldn't have caused... whatever just happened to him. Something must be happening to Takumi, wherever he was, and he knew Azura's singing wouldn't be able to combat these symptoms if this incident were to happen again. And who knew how many times this could possibly happen again?

Azura returned with a simple sandwich on a paper plate, one that must have been a favorite of Takumi's if the way his mouth began to water in response was any way to guess. In her other hand was a water bottle, and Anankos realized he forgot to add "dehydrated" to his list of symptoms.

"Thank you," he said quietly, pushing himself upright enough in the chair to not choke on his food. Azura pulled over a table in front of him and placed down the plate and the bottle before returning to her original chair.

He took small bites, careful not to choke, and drank the water slowly. He didn't need to make himself sick, especially not after what just happened. He still needed to figure out _what_ happened, but he had a feeling it had to do with his other half. Takumi had gone missing and the other Anankos was the only other person that could have done anything.

Azura seemed hesitant to speak, as if breaking the silence would lead to Anankos suffering another spontaneous onset. "Do you know what just happened?" It was delicate, a quality that her voice always seemed to retain no matter _what_ life time. It asked for an answer with the same weight as a demand, and somewhere in the back of his mind, Anankos had the revelation that she could probably sway anyone to her side on any matter.

The dragon spoke around the bread and lunch meat in his mouth, something that was probably rude in regards to human manners. "I think," he swallowed, "It has to do with my other half."

Azura thought back on the incident four years ago, which she had hoped would be her last encounter with the Silent Dragon, and winced. He had put Leo out of commission without much effort at all and almost succeeded at crushing her pendant. If he hadn't been cocky, she probably would have ended up worse than slightly traumatized.

Her reaction hardly went unnoticed. Anankos sighed, knowing exactly what her mind had tracked back to. "I'm sorry about that, by the way. I don't think I ever apologized to you about that."

The blue-haired girl brought her gaze to meet his genuinely apologetic one, and she began chuckling.

Anankos' eyes widened and he jumped slightly in surprise. "W-what's so funny?" Wasn't she just upset? Maybe he didn't understand humans as well as he thought he did.

Azura brought her hand up to block her mouth even though her laugh was anything but loud. "It's just that you really look like Takumi when you act like that."

Suddenly feeling defensive, he crossed his arms and huffed, "Well, I sure _hope_ I would look like him." Nevertheless, he laughed along with her, and for once, it didn't feel like the fate of the world was on his shoulders.

* * *

Takumi woke up surrounded by darkness. Upon sitting up, he was instantly assaulted by a migraine. He groaned, putting his head into his hands. Where even was he? And why was it so dark?

Somewhere in the distance, he could almost hear the echoes of voices. Just the draw of _civilization_ was enough to bring him to his feet and start moving. Anything was better than sitting alone in the dark, waiting for something to just swoop in and kill him.

Maybe this was a nightmare, he reasoned with himself. It certainly wouldn't be the first one to start in darkness. Whatever it was, he wanted anything but to stay wherever _here_ was.

He walked. For how long, he had no idea, but the darkness seemed to stretch on forever. His feet were beginning to hurt and panic began to clamor in his chest. His thoughts started to get away from him. Was he going to be stuck here forever? In this world of endless darkness, all by himself?

Suddenly, he felt like he was five again, hearing the news of his father being killed and his sister being stolen from them. He felt scared and alone. No one had comforted him or coddled him; everyone was too wrapped up in their own sorrows to console him. Mikoto had been grieving, Ryoma had been upset with himself, Hinoka vowed to train and be the one to rescue Kamui, and Sakura was too young to understand what had happened. He was alone again, and no one was coming to save him.

He fell to his knees and drew his arms around himself. He was alone. _He was alone._

It was dark and it was cold. He fought back tears and the feeling of being forgotten and _so, so alone._

Takumi snapped to his senses when he felt someone breathing down the back of his neck. His own woes pushed aside, he turned around to meet whoever was behind him.

Countless pairs of red eyes stared back at him, and Takumi remembered exactly where he was.

"You're so fun to play with," Anankos sneered, red eyes jubilant. "Put you in the dark and you give yourself a panic attack! Ah, human toys are so fickle..."

Takumi growled, "Will you _stop_ that?" He was growing agitated. "And where even _are_ we? Didn't you want to get out of... _wherever_ we were before?"

The dragon sighed. How stupid _was_ the human? Did he really have to explain everything? "Where do you _think_ we are?" His frustration was seeping through. "There's only one place where we could coexist."

"I know we're still in my mind, that's not what I meant..." Takumi grumbled. He wasn't stupid. But he _was_ exasperated. "Is the darkness necessary? I still can't see anything. And if your eyes didn't glow, I wouldn't even be able to see you."

As if on cue, the numerous eyes began to disappear. Left in their stead was a single red pair at eye level to Takumi, almost as if Anankos had taken on a humanoid appearance. He probably _had_ , but in the darkness, Takumi could not make anything out besides the dim red glow.

Anankos snapped his fingers, and light filled the space they were in. It took Takumi a second to realize that he wasn't looking in a mirror; Anankos had taken on his form, the only difference being their eye color.

"I shouldn't be able to do this." The doppelganger stated bluntly, and Takumi found himself without a snarky remark. "I'm afraid our fusion is happening quicker than I thought it would."

The human swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Well," his mouth was dry upon his revelation, "I guess this calls for a truce... At least, until we figure this out."

Anankos scowled, clearly unhappy with reaching the same conclusion. "Frankly, I have no other choice."

Takumi tried to smile, despite everything. "No... I suppose not. Now bring us back, will you?"

With a grumble, Anankos grabbed the collar of Takumi's shirt, and then they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Planned on revealing the thief's identity this chapter but my writing led elsewhere. ;)
> 
> Just want to thank you guys for sticking with this fic, despite my irregular posting schedule. I will see this through to the end, no matter how long it takes!


	20. Bloodline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy one year anniversary to _Happenstance!_ I'm so glad I was able to get the twentieth chapter out before the day passed. Truthfully, I finished this about a week ago, but I knew I needed to wait and post this on the anniversary. Thank you for all of you who have stuck with me from the beginning, and for all of you that have joined during the ride.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the twentieth chapter, _Bloodline!_

Anankos eyed the landline phone warily, his face twisting into a mix of uncertainty and mild annoyance. "Don't you think this would be a waste of time?"

Azura replied evenly, "And us sitting around having tea time isn't?" She had a slight frown tugging at her lips, but her voice remained its usual calm tone. "You might as well try."

She had a point, he mused. Calling Mikoto and getting information from her was better than sitting around the house, waiting for something to happen. Of course, all of this was delaying him from figuring out his internal situation with his other self and Takumi. As much as he would have preferred to keep to himself and personally dragged Takumi out of _wherever_ he was, he had the unconscious body of Ryoma and the threat of the thief to deal with.

He stared at the phone, lips pulled into a straight line and eyebrows drawn. His confusion must have been evident because Azura spoke up. "You _do_ know how to use a phone, don't you?"

If the way his gaze fell downcast in embarrassment was any way to tell, Azura figured the answer to her question was a definite _no_. She mumbled a comforting "it's fine, don't worry about it," while taking the phone and inputting what must have been Mikoto's cell phone number. She handed him the plastic casing and he took it in one hand, using the other to fiddle with the curled wire in new found anxiety as the phone dialed.

" _Hello?_ " Came the voice through the phone. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Anankos could recall Mikoto being mad about being called during work, but she would loosen up upon the realization that it was a family member calling her. She was always busy, running around the hospital as a nurse, and Anankos had the feeling that he was wasting _her_ time, if anything.

"Mikoto?" He tested the name, the word sounding odd with Takumi's voice. He winced slightly; maybe he should clarify himself. The woman probably would have deduced it eventually anyways. "It's Anankos."

He shifted awkwardly during the pause before Mikoto spoke again. " _Where is Takumi?_ " There was a low, threatening undertone in her words, but he figured that must have been her maternal instinct.

Anankos shifted his gaze to Azura, who was sitting in the chair next to the sofa with Ryoma on it. He had a feeling she could hear Mikoto, despite the receiver being pressed close to his ear. "That's..." Suddenly, he felt uncertain in himself. Anxious, even. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and his grip on the phone tightened slightly. "That's why I'm calling."

The silence from the other side of the line seemed to goad him into continuing. "He retreated to our subconscious this morning and I haven't heard from him since. I tried to find him but... it's almost as if he isn't there at all." He brought his eyes to the unconscious body of Ryoma and something in his chest began to twist. "And that isn't the only bad news from today."

" _Why? What else happened?_ " Mikoto sounded shaken. Anankos felt guilt digging at him and began to blame himself for everything that had happened today. If he hadn't let his other half able, Takumi would be fine and not missing in action. And if he hadn't been trying to find Takumi, he might have found Ryoma and taken down the thief. If he hadn't bound himself to Takumi, none of this would have happened in the first place -

" _Anankos!_ " Mikoto shouted in a whisper, and he could only wonder how long he had been lost in his thoughts, " _What else happened?_ " The fear in her voice struck something in him. Hearing her afraid triggered something in him and he had the urge to quell her fears, even as his own came boiling to the surface.

"Ryoma," he breathed, and now he couldn't bare to look at the unconscious form on the couch, "he was attacked - by the same person who is after the divine weapons."

Mikoto gasped, and Anankos realized just how much he hated being the bearer of bad news. Before she could ask how her son was, he spoke up. "He's... well... he's _alive_." He frowned, that indiscernible emotion gnawing in his chest, and he continued to fill the silence between them. "Azura found him and we were able to treat his wounds. He's resting now, but I'm worried about when the thief will strike next."

He could hear Mikoto swallow, and he could picture her nodding her head slowly at the information. " _And what do you need from me?_ " Her words still held uncertainty, a stark contrast from her usual tone, and Anankos would not voice how much it irked him. " _I know you - you wouldn't just call to tell me what happened_."

Anankos looked at Azura and almost felt sheepish. Mikoto had always been smart and deductive. It wasn't as if he was hiding anything, but Mikoto's fine eye to detail was cutting corners to end his beating around the bush. He breathed a sigh and shut his eyes.

"You need to tell me where the other divine weapons are, Mikoto."

* * *

Leo ran through the forest, pushing against trees to keep up his momentum. Sweat dripped down his forehead and his hair was messily splayed from the wind. His breath was ragged and his chest heaved at the excursion, but he continued on. If he just put one foot in front of the other, he would make it. One foot... in front of the other... and he would make it...

His foot caught under a tree root and he lost his balance, falling ungracefully with a yelp into an amalgamation of leaves, twigs, and stones. His right leg was now scratched up and one of his elbows was cut and bleeding. His body was in even more pain now than before. Just his luck.

Leo squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his nose to the dirt, fingers gripping the earth beneath him. "Damn it," he bellowed, "Damn it all to hell!"

His father was the thief. His father had followed him to Brynhildr just to steal it. His father had kept the tome from Leo, despite the constant toll it was putting on his son. His father had attacked Takumi's brother and tried to claim Raijinto as well. His father was the thief, and his _mother_ was being dragged into the scheme as well.

He slammed his fist against the ground with a frustrated yell, dirt and blood coating his hand. This couldn't be happening. How was he supposed to accept this? Was he supposed to take up arms against his own _parents_? Just the _idea_ pained him.

Distantly, he called back a memory from the first life. He and his siblings had turned against their father, but, to appease him, they continued their conquering of Hoshido reluctantly. They had done that for _Corrin_ too, but the fact that he had done it once made the idea easier to think on.

But it was easier to turn on his father when it wasn't really his father in the first place. He had been Anankos' puppet at that point, a shell of his former self, and opposing the husk of his father had been challenging as is. How could he do that to his father in _this_ life? The father that had raised him, the one that he looked up to and aspired to be like? It was beyond daunting.

Leo turned his head, laying his cheek against the dirt and finding his motivation to keep going fleeting. And what of his mother? Grimly, he recalled his encounter with his parents not even half an hour ago. His father seemed abusive to her, slapping her when she offered help and leaving her to trail behind him like some _mutt_. His father had _never_ acted like that before. Had something happened to him in this life?

He tried to recall any memories he had of his father to attempt to deduce his change in behavior, but he couldn't focus. His thoughts were slipping away from him before he could grasp them and a headache pulsed behind his eyes. He touched a few fingers to his forehead gently and the liquid dripping from above his eyebrows felt warm to the touch. He must have hit his head when he fell and didn't realize it.

Mustering whatever strength he had left, he crawled to his knees and pushed himself up. He leaned against a tree for support - the bark was rough against his skin - and found his footing. Even in his deliriousness, he knew he still had to get to Takumi's house - even if it killed him. His body ached with every step and there was probably a trail of blood smudged in the dirt behind him, but he carried on. He prayed that Takumi had knowledge on first aid. And a preferably comfortable bed for him to pass out on.

* * *

Azura glanced away with a look of uncertainty. Anankos, despite the commanding tone in his voice, looked to be rooted in place in anxiousness. His tight grip on the receiver and his excessive fiddling with the phone cord seemed more fitting for Takumi. There had to be something amiss, especially with Takumi going missing. She would have to ask him about it later, after the phone call.

Anankos was getting impatient. Usually he could keep his cool with ease, but the fear growing in the pit of his stomach was driving him to act. "I _know_ you know, Mikoto, so please-"

" _I know,_ " she hissed, and her frustration came through despite her voice being little more than a whisper. There was a beat of silence before she spoke again. " _You have to realize I'm still at work. It's a hospital full of people - you never know who could be listening._ "

"R-right, yes," Anankos faltered, only realizing now just how much his emotions were slipping. He still needed to figure out what was going on with Takumi and his other half. There seemed to be no time, especially when everything was happening _all at once_ and _now_.

With a few blinks to clear his head, he suppressed his anxiousness as best he could. "Brynhildr is with the thief and Raijinto is with Ryoma," he recapped, his grip on the phone loosening. "Xander's Siegfried, Kamui's Yato, and my - er - _Takumi's_ Fujin Yumi are...?"

Anankos tried to ignore Azura's meticulous gaze by diverting his eyes to the other side of the room. She was obviously attempting to figure out what exactly was happening with him and Takumi, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she thought _him_ responsible for Takumi's disappearance. He couldn't blame her, even though they had spent the past few hours together in relative peace. He couldn't dismiss the accusation, but it would have to wait.

" _... I have no idea on Siegfried's whereabouts,_ " she murmured truthfully, and Anankos chewed his lip unconsciously. " _It was a weapon of Nohrian descent and I was dead long before it would have been sealed away_."

He nodded in understanding. It was unfortunate and definitely not the news he wanted to hear, but it was something. "And the Yato?"

He heard Mikoto click her tongue in thought from across the line. " _It's buried in the backyard of my old house, the one I lived in before marrying Sumeragi._ "

Anankos furrowed his eyebrows, mouth slightly agape. "Why would it be there?" His eyes widened in realization. "Don't tell me-"

" _The Yato had been sealed near the remains of the old palace_ ," she explained in a hushed voice. " _I had recovered it a few years ago, and when I heard of Brynhildr being stolen, I knew our family was at risk as well_."

Mikoto let out a heavy exhale, and Anankos realized that this was probably the first time she told anyone about what she had done. " _I snuck back to my old house in the middle of the night and buried the Yato in the backyard. I figured the thief would never think to look there, especially with me living here now._ "

It was good reasoning, Anankos mused. He filed the information away for later, and he realized he would need to drag Kamui into this mess if he wanted to utilize the Yato. That was a worry for another day. There was still one more pressing concern he had to figure out.

"And what of the Fujin Yumi?" He felt a twist in his gut at the mention of the bow. There was an undeniable feeling of _protectiveness_ in his chest, and he knew that had to be from Takumi. The Fujin Yumi had symbolized his motivation to become stronger and his desire to protect his family. He had been without it for hundreds of years now and Anankos realized that the bow had been a partner to Takumi much more than he _ever_ had.

" _Well..._ " Anankos could practically _hear_ the smile in the woman's voice. " _I think that question is better suited for my son_."

Before he could rebut, Mikoto interjected. " _I would love to keep talking but I'm still on the clock and I would_ hate _to lose my job over this. How else are we going to have the money to maintain the family?_ " There was a quirk to her voice and Anankos found it in himself to chuckle over it. He mumbled a goodbye before the line went dead.

Placing the receiver back into its holder, he turned back towards Azura. She was staring up at him expectantly and her golden eyes seemed to dig at him uncomfortably. Not too eager to challenge her view of him, he figured recapitulating what Mikoto said would be a good way to transition into conversation.

"Well... at least we know the exact location of the Yato." He still felt uneasy under Azura's eyes, but her gaze seemed to lessen in intensity. Taking that as a cue to keep talking, he found a seat in one of the other chairs in the living room and spoke. "I'm not sure how we'll figure out the location of the Fujin Yumi at this rate, however..."

For the first time since before the phone call with Mikoto, Azura looked sympathetic for Anankos. "We still need to figure out the situation with Takumi." Of course; it wasn't sympathy for him. Azura was just trying to get Takumi back. She probably didn't care much for Anankos after all, merely just tolerated him because he was bound to her friend.

He bit his lip, pushing away harbored thoughts of being unwanted. His feelings didn't matter. Azura was right: Takumi was still their top priority. The divine weapons would have to wait, especially if Takumi held the key to finding the Fujin Yumi.

Strengthening his resolve, he licked his lips and swallowed past the lump in his throat. He looked towards Azura with a new found vigor. "I _will_ find him - and I'll personally drag him out of his mind if I have to."

He took in a long breath, shutting his eyes in concentration. With a few relaxed breaths, the world around him began to fade and everything became muted.

Anankos retreated into his mind, his body morphing into a similar form to that of Ryuurei. It was the same form he had taken after he was split from his dragon half, back when he had lived with Mikoto in Valla.

He pushed the thoughts aside. That wasn't important now. He needed to find Takumi, and he would most likely be confronting his other half as well. That meant the best place to look was the deepest recesses of Takumi's mind, where he had sealed the dragon.

In this strange space, there was no sense of gravity. Anankos floated through the air, his long, white robes fluttering around him. He narrowed his red eyes and tried to pinpoint where his partner was, but it was to no avail. Growling in frustration, he carried on and hoped that his soul would bring him in the right direction.

His soul... Was it ever really _his_? He had barely been alive when he was bound to Takumi in the first life. He had been extinguished by his other half and died in the arms of Lillith; only a small speck of his existence had survived within his original form. He was lucky to have been attached to Takumi - along with the soul of his dragon half - and reincarnated so many times, allowing him to gain his strength back. Nevertheless, his dragon half was always going to be stronger, no matter how long he waited within their vessel.

Anankos exhaled with a frown. He was only a remnant of what he used to be. This wasn't even his actual form; it was one of the countless things he stole from Ryuurei. Was he even Anankos at this point? The maddened part of his soul, the results of the degeneration tearing at his mind - was that the real him? He wasn't even supposed to exist anymore. It was only his other half's curiosity this lifetime that brought him back. If it weren't for Takumi, he would have been extinguished from existence completely.

It had been odd, to say the least. Hundreds of years must have passed while he was on the brink of non-existence. There was the occasional echo of a voice, of a memory. It would have driven any man mad - but he was no man, now was he? No matter how much he played pretend, he would always be a dragon, one that would eventually succumb to the madness in his heart. A lion in a sheep's clothing was still a lion, after all.

A distant yelp caught his attention. Although it was muted and far away, Anankos could tell it was Takumi. He continued his flight with a new sense of purpose and direction, fearing whatever his other half was doing to the boy.

Was that his only purpose now? To protect Takumi and keep his dragon half under control? It was terribly dehumanizing to strip his entire existence to those two goals, but he couldn't argue against it. It was all he's done since his rebirth this lifetime.

He continued his flight and couldn't shake the feeling that his entire _essence_ was being pulled towards where Takumi and his other half presumably were. He felt like a magnet; sure, he was propelling himself too, but he felt like he was the one being pulled along.

In the distance, he could make out two vague forms. They almost looked like... balls of light? Those must have been the embodiment of their souls. There was a crimson red one and a navy blue one. Suddenly becoming conscious of himself, Anankos realized that his body had been replaced with a similar light. He burned with a fiery cyan blue, and he could only add the color to the growing list of things he had stolen from Ryuurei.

The two lights watched his descent to land beside them. Despite not having physical bodies, it was easy to discern which was Takumi and which was his other half. Upon closer examination, there was a hint of a blue-green mix in Takumi's soul. Was that the Fujin Yumi?

 _You!_ The red light growled and Anankos did his best to glare back, despite the form he was in. _Do you have any idea what you've done?_

If Anankos had eyes, he would have blinked in confusion. He turned to face the blue light in the hopes of being filled in.

 _This is all your fault!_ The red light continued, but Anankos could tell that his other half was containing his rage for some reason.

 _Anankos, please,_ the blue light shifted warily. He was warning the dragon. _We agreed to work together. You can resolve your ill will after we figure this out._

The red light seethed, but did as he was told.

Anankos, once again cognizant of his cyan blue essence, finally found his voice. _Why are you working together? And what did I do?_

The navy blue light glanced towards the red one before responding. _Because of our closeness this lifetime, our souls are beginning to fuse. I made a truce with your other half to find a way to prevent it._

Anankos paused, thinking back on the events of the day. He had picked up many of Takumi's behaviors without really realizing it. Had his episode earlier been a result of this _fusion_?

... What was going to happen if the three of them became one?

A mix of helplessness and lethargy came over him. He hadn't realized just how much the day had tired him, and hearing such despairing news was taking a toll on him.

 _I..._ He found himself floating lower and his light slowly dimming. _I'm sorry._

The red light seemed to burn fiercer. The dragon probably had a scathing remark on his tongue, but a glare from the navy blue light seemed to restrict it.

 _We just need to figure out a way to stop this,_ the navy blue light restated calmly to the two of them.

Anankos, taking notice of the blue-green swirl in Takumi's soul once again, remembered his other goal. _There is a more pressing concern we have to worry about..._

Crimson red flared beside him. _And what is more important than our situation?_

Takumi, perhaps realizing what the cyan light had been referring to, spoke up. _The divine weapons._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the identity of the thief is revealed! I felt as though it was obvious, but I'm also the writer so that isn't very credible. There'll be more on Garon and Arete, but you'll just have to wait a little longer. :P
> 
> I'm sure you can all figure what will be happening in the chapters to come. The hunt for the divine weapons is on!


End file.
